Active Citizen and government service centres count relocation project votes

The final voting results have been tallied on the relocation programme conducted by the Active Citizen project and My Documents government services centres. Overall, residents of 4,543 residential houses took part in the voting with 4,079 houses (90 percent) voting for inclusion in the relocation programme. 

Over half of the houses (2,282 five-storied buildings) gathered over 90 percent of votes in favour of relocation. Another 25 percent have 80 to 90 percent of votes. According to the voting rules, all the 4,079 houses with over two-thirds of votes in favour of relocation may be included in the relocation programme.

Residents of 276 houses (six percent) voted against joining the programme as over one third of apartment residents were against it.

Opinions were split in 184 houses (four percent). From 40 to 60 percent of apartments favour the relocation project, however  their houses will not be included in the programme.

City residents were given the opportunity to voice their opinion from 15 May to 15 June in the Active Citizen system, in the My Documents government services centres and at general meetings of apartment owners.

AS of June 16, 522 general meetings of the owners were held. Following their results, 40 meeting minutes were submitted expressing opposition to the relocation programme. Meanwhile, residents of 482 houses voiced their wish to join the programme at general meetings. The possibility for residents to express their opinions on the relocation programme at the general meetings has been extended by another month till 15 July.

How votes were verified

A special verification procedure was designed for counting the city residents’ votes. In order to be eligible for voting, an individual was required to enter his or her name, passport number, pension insurance individual account number, date of birth, number of the apartment account and tenancy register. All the data went through a three-stage check by the federal bodies. The votes were counted only after confirming that all collected data were properly submitted.

In the government services center residents had to be produce their passports and additional verification of the person’s right to vote. City residents could also present additional documents – apartment owners were to show the title or an extract from the Unified State Register of Taxpayers while tenants could present a lease agreement.

Two Stages: how the votes were counted

The vote count in the Active Citizen and My Documents was conducted in two stages. For the first stage the vote of each individual apartment was identified. If it had only one owner or leasee, only his or her opinion was counted. If there were several people, the simple majority of votes was counted. All the owners or leasees were not required to vote as only the opinion of those voting counted.

The second stage determined how the whole apartment house voted. The relocation programme project incorporated only those buildings where over two thirds of the residents (at least 66.7 percent) voted in faviour of relocation.

If the owners and leasees had a general meeting, its resolution was accepted and not the votes cast in using the Active Citizen or government services centres. For the house to join the relocation programme project, over two thirds of the total number of apartments need to vote in favour.

Counting the opinion of the “taciturn”

A special procedure was designed for those who did not vote (“the taciturn). Their voices were proportionately distributed between the yes and no votes.

For example, a building with 103 apartments had 83 apartment residents who voted. Three apartments could not make up their mind, and their voices will not be counted, 72 apartments (90 percent) voted yes, whereas eight apartments (10 percent) voted against. The votes of the “taciturn” from the remaining 20 apartments were distributed in the same proportion (90 to 10) respectively, or 18 votes for and two votes against. 

How Muscovites checked their votes

City residents were able to check whether their opinion on the relocation programme was heard by accessing the mos.ru site. They needed only to type in a special personal code number which was given to them when they voted at the My Documents Centre (the number should have arrived as a text message or via email). They alternatively  could have used a special electronic service. Those who used the Active Citizen for voting could use their user code from their personal online profile.