The coronavirus pandemic as a shaping factor in the political context of Russian gubernatorial election campaigns

The present paper focuses on the peculiarities of organizing and conducting elections of the highest officials of Russian Federation subjects during the pandemic of a new coronavirus infection COVID-19. It analyses the regulations governing voting, the course of election campaigns and electoral statistics. The conclusion is justified that the introduction of innovations of electoral legislation (changes in the voting procedure, expansion of ways to exercise active suffrage while restricting the right of citizens to be elected) and the development of a set of anti-epidemiological measures have enabled the organizers of elections to conduct successful electoral campaigns and maintain a stable political situation in the regions. Nonetheless, it is noted that there has been very limited use of digital electoral technology in gubernatorial election campaigns, which the author considers unjustified in the prevailing circumstances. It also argues that restrictions on citizens' passive suffrage should be lifted after the end of the coronavirus pandemic in order to provide conditions for the education of the legal and political culture of the voter, to develop a critical attitude towards the slogans of politicians.