The elections began—and so did the coercion. Human rights activists recorded the first complaints from public sector employees.

The human rights project "At One's Own Will" was developed a memo for public sector employees and students in case they are forced to go to the polls and vote for a particular candidate. Also launched bot - with its help you can file a complaint about such violations. 

"We've only had four such requests so far, but we think there will be more from today," human rights activists told NeMoskva. 

Voting for preferred candidates is a long-established practice in Russia's regions. Public sector employees are even required to provide a photo of their ballot, despite such actions being illegal under labor law and punishable by law. 

In "At your own request" they can provide Free legal assistance for those who faced pressure or coercion to go to the polls and vote remotely. In the memo, human rights activists proposed several ways to prevent vote theft and the secrecy of the ballot. 

You can vote with a "thread"—make a tick with it and photograph it on the ballot, or take a photo of a blank ballot and add the desired "vote" in a photo editor. You can even ask the commission for a new ballot to report a voting error. There are also instructions for the brave—record the violation and complain to the Central Election Commission, the prosecutor's office, and other authorities. But here you need to weigh the risks.