🏛️ “Open Elections”: Exploring Russia’s Electoral System On September 13, one of the key events of the “Open Elections” Program at the International Festival of Youth – 2026 was an address by Ella Pamfilova, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. She spoke to the Program participants, shared her perspective on the importance of a professional approach to electoral processes, and offered words of encouragement to the young experts ahead of the next stages of their work. The single voting day in Russia is a concentration of the electoral activity of our citizens. Many of you will witness this event as part of the festival’s regional program. Currently, the country’s electoral sovereignty determines its independence and strength, its ability to pursue its own course. Russia has the necessary set of electoral standards for this. For us, it is important that participants gain a professional understanding of electoral procedures in Russia and of how election commissions and the observation system operate. On the same day, we held two more educational events together with the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. 🔊 Pavel Andreev, Member of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, delivered a lecture entitled “National Specifics: the Electoral Process and Election Observation in the Russian Federation, and the 2026 Election to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.” Participants discussed the organization of voting, the work of election commissions, and election observation mechanisms. ⚪️ The Program then continued with the business debate “Elections of the Future,” focused on the development of electoral technologies and the future transformation of electoral processes. Following the Festival stage, participants will continue their work across Russian regions, where they will assess the organizational, legal, and procedural aspects of voting and interact with election commissions.