Elections via satellite communication may appear in Russia — this option is being considered for regions where there is no stable internet and mobile network.
The idea was voiced by the head of the CEC, Ella Pamfilova. According to her, we are talking about a new format of remote electronic voting (REV) that will work even in the most remote parts of the country.
The project has been developed for several years jointly with the company "Bureau 1440", which is engaged in launching communication satellites. It is assumed that the technology will allow data to be transmitted directly through the orbital infrastructure, bypassing terrestrial networks.
At the same time, elements of "space" voting already exist. For example, Russian cosmonauts in orbit also participate in elections — they transmit their vote through a trusted person on Earth. Communication is carried out using satellite channels, but legally the vote is recorded not directly from orbit.
The new format, which is being discussed in the CEC, may be the next step — to allow sending a vote directly through orbit without intermediaries.
In fact, this is a step towards a system where voting will become possible anywhere — from hard-to-reach regions to areas without communication coverage.
At the same time, the idea itself sounds futuristic, but the CEC recalls: many digital services that seem familiar today were once perceived as fantasy.
