Manipulation of the ballot papers in Russian electoral practice: efficiency or effectiveness? Subject for research

Authors

  • V. S. Kovin Perm Federal Research Centre UB RAS; Perm State Humanitarian Pedagogical University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7242/2658-705X/2019.1.4

Keywords:

ballot paper, elections, electoral technologies

Abstract

The article analyses the manipulation methods used by Russian political technologists, candidates and parties in order to gain a more beneficial position on the ballot paper: the method of “duplicates”, obtaining the first position on the list, graphically highlighting certain candidates or parties. The conclusion is made that there is no evidence of the effectiveness of such ballot paper manipulations in Russian electoral practice. Such methods mainly characterize Russian electoral policy to be focused on the development of additional preferences for certain candidates or parties in the 2000s. The use of these manipulation methods is currently decreasing due to the reducing numbers of competitive elections. According to Western research, such methods, although having some psychological and cognitive basis, allow to manipulate primarily by conformist-like and not enough politically competent voters. The impact of these manipulation methods can only be estimated after a large electoral statistical study based on the results of local elections.

Author Biography

  • V. S. Kovin, Perm Federal Research Centre UB RAS; Perm State Humanitarian Pedagogical University

    кандидат исторических наук, старший научный сотрудник отдела по исследованию политических институтов и процессов ПФИЦ УрО РАН; доцент кафедры истории России, всеобщей истории и археологии ПГГПУ

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Published

2019-05-21

Issue

No. 1 (2019)

Section

Research: theory and experiment

How to Cite

Kovin, V. S. (2019). Manipulation of the ballot papers in Russian electoral practice: efficiency or effectiveness? Subject for research. Perm Federal Research Centre Journal, 1, 39-54. https://doi.org/10.7242/2658-705X/2019.1.4