MOSCOW, Sept 17 (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) -- Russia has organised 333 polling stations abroad in 152 countries, Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC) chief Ella Pamfilova said on Thursday, adding that no other country in the world offers such opportunities, Sputnik/RIA Novosti reported.
"[Russia has organised] 333 polling stations in 152 countries," Pamfilova said during the presentation of a report on the readiness of the electoral system for the upcoming elections, adding that "no other country in the world offers such a wide range of voting opportunities abroad".
Preparations are also under way at Russian diplomatic missions overseas, including at the Russian Consulate General in New York, where a polling station has been set up for Russian citizens to cast their ballots.
Russian Consul General in New York Alexey Markov told RIA Novosti that preparations for the election were "proceeding at full speed" at the consulate.
"Preparations for the upcoming elections of members of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation are proceeding at full speed at the Consulate General," Markov said.
Polling station No. 8274 has been set up at the Consulate General, and a local election commission has been formed to conduct the vote. Markov said diplomats are also informing Russian citizens about the upcoming elections via local television and radio, social media, and the Internet.
Voting in New York will take place on Sunday, September 20, from 12:00 GMT to 00:00 GMT. Russian citizens in the United States will also be able to vote at the Russian Embassy in Washington and the Consulate General in Houston, Texas.
All Russian citizens in the US who have turned 18 by election day are eligible to vote. To do so, they must appear in person at the polling station and present a valid Russian international passport.
Elections to the State Duma of the ninth convocation will be held in September. Voting will take place over three days: from September 18 to 20. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the upcoming State Duma elections an important domestic political event of the country.
-- BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI