During the September elections, experts in information technology, along with representatives from Rostelecom and the Central Election Commission of Russia, gathered to discuss enhancements in technology monitoring tools for the remote electronic voting system. The roundtable, part of the technical working group within the Coordination Council for Public Control on Voting under the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, served as a forum to explore practical ideas based on the DEG’s performance. This summary reflects what was reported by the Independent Public Monitoring Association.
Oleg Artamonov, who co-chairs the coordination council and leads the DEG regional election commission, opened the discussion by proposing that IT-driven ideas should be evaluated against the DEG’s real-world results. He stressed the value of turning theoretical concepts into actionable improvements that stem from actual usage data and observed outcomes.
Anton Lopatin, a member of the Central Election Commission, spoke ahead of the presidential campaign about the paramount need to ensure the DEG’s reliability and credibility. He underscored that building absolute confidence in the DEG is among the commission’s top priorities and called for user-friendly tools that make governance and oversight more accessible without requiring deep technical expertise.
He added that the search for new tools should prioritize ease of observation. The aim is to create monitoring capabilities that are intuitive for all stakeholders, eliminating barriers caused by technical complexity while strengthening trust in the system.
Prior to ongoing deployments, Lopatin noted, experts submitted roughly seventy proposals to the commission, most of which were subsequently implemented. The current round of proposals continues to address the status and functionality of observers, improving documentation, and expanding secure channels for critical information within the system.
The discussions also covered practical steps such as allowing observers to operate from different locations within the observation framework, including remote portals and on-site DEG facilities. Artamonov indicated that granting broader rights to each observer group could enhance transparency and expand the practical capabilities of the DEG, enabling broader participation and more robust oversight.
Other recommendations included enabling electronic protocols to be issued in formal document formats under the regulations that govern DEG operations, which would streamline administrative processes and increase efficiency in recording voting activities.
Experts also suggested simplifying the process by which observers apply to participate in DEG operations at TEC DEG sites, reducing friction and encouraging broader involvement from qualified observers.
There was also discussion about mechanisms for voters to verify the accuracy of the vote, reinforcing the integrity of the electoral process and giving the public greater confidence in the system’s results.
In closing, Artamonov summarized the roundtable outcomes: all ideas will continue to be examined, and the team plans to consolidate them into a single document by the end of the week and forward it to the Central Election Commission for consideration. This planned synthesis will reflect a comprehensive approach to improving DEG oversight and transparency while maintaining rigorous security standards, ensuring that the voting process remains verifiable and trustworthy across all observer groups.