MOSCOW, April 4 (RAPSI) – The Federation Council member Vladimir Lukin has submitted a bill extending the list of people authorized to carry out photo and video survey in voting premises to the State Duma. The document has been published on the database of the parliament’s lower house.

Currently, only observers and media personnel may conduct such surveys.

The bill envisages that a right to execute photo and video surveys during elections will be also given to voting members of the electoral commission and members with a consultative vote; candidates registered by such or higher-level commissions, their financial matter authorized representatives and election agents; proxy representatives and proxy holders of parties and their registered candidates; members and authorized representatives of referendum initiative groups.

Chairpersons, their deputies or secretaries of polling site commissions must be notified of the planned surveys in advance.

However, the conducted photo or video surveys should not hinder the election commission’s work as well as violate legislation and confidentiality of personal data; they also must be carried out only from the site showed by the election commissioner, an explanatory note to the draft law reads.

The initiative is aimed to improve the election process’ openness and publicity, according to Lukin.