Activist: More Polling Stations Needed for Russian Elections
Russian citizens living in Estonia will likely have to make their way to one of their country's three diplomatic representations if they want to vote in the December 4 Duma elections, a fact that will prevent many from casting their ballots, according to a prominent activist.
Vladimir Lebedev, head of the Union of Russian Citizens of Estonia, told Postimees that the offices in Tallinn, Tartu and Narva aren't enough, and the lack of outside polling stations means that many of the nation's 100,000 Russian citizens wouldn't be able to cast their ballots.
Lebedev said that permission to set up such polling stations is in the hands of the government, and pointed to examples of such practices in New York.
“Such a gesture wouldn't cost Estonia anything. We're talking about a nice step towards Russian-Estonian relations,” he said.
Estonia has in the past not allowed such polling stations, citing a lack of international precedent.
The last Duma election held in 2007 attracted 24,000 voters in Estonia.
Steve Roman