Constitutional Law Regulation of the Use of Digital Technologies in Video Surveillance over Elections and Referendums

Abstract

Elections and referendums are the main ways of free expression of the will of Russian citizens concerning political and other issues of importance to society. The significance of these forms of citizen participation in the life of Russian society presupposes the existence of legislative mechanisms for their regulation. At the same time, the introduction of modern technologies that make it possible to exclude the possibility of falsifications and other violations of election and referendum procedures is of particular importance. Video surveillance is one of the digital technologies that can increase the confidence of citizens in these methods of their free expression. The paper is devoted to constitutional law regulation of the use of digital technologies in video surveillance over elections and referendums. The paper considers in detail a set of regulatory and legal sources, on the basis of which the use of video surveillance systems in voting premises at polling stations is regulated. The author analyzes legislative acts that explain the specifics of the use of video surveillance during elections and referendums, mainly federal laws, as well as resolutions of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. In conclusion, the author dwells on the prospects and effectiveness of the use of modern digital technologies in the implementation of video surveillance over the course of elections and referendums.