Russians in Goa to vote for elections in their country

Several hundred Russians living in Goa would cast their votes from the state in the elections to their country's lower house of Parliament, Duma, on September 15.
The office of Vikram Varma, legal counsel of the Russian consulate in Mumbai, at Porvorim village in Goa would turn into a polling station.
This is the second time that Russia would be allowing voting from a venue outside a consulate or the embassy in India. The first such polling was witnessed in Goa on December 4, 2011, when nearly 300 Russian voters cast vote, Varma told PTI.
The polling would be held under the observation of officials from the Russian consulate in Mumbai who would be bringing the ballot boxes.

Goa is a popular holiday destination for Russians with 65,000 to 70,000 visitors from the country arriving in the last tourist season.
"We are expecting nearly two hundred thousand Russians to visit Goa this year," Varma said.

Elections are being held for 450 seats of Duma. The voting in Russia is scheduled for September 18, but in Goa the voting would be held earlier as the ballot boxes are to be transferred to Mumbai and sent to Russia, he said.
According to him, there is a floating population of nearly one thousand Russians in Goa who are eligible to vote.

Russian consulate has also written to the Goa Chief Minister seeking his help in facilitating the voting.
"The foundation of a healthy democracy rests in enabling citizens to cast their vote. Keeping in mind this global principle as well as the strong friendship between the two nations, this would be the second time the Government of Goa has graciously assisted the Russian Government to enable Russians in Goa to cast their vote," Varma said.