Elections in the Soviet Union

The electoral system of the Soviet Union was varying over time, being based upon Chapter XIII of the provisional Fundamental Law of 1922, articles 9 and 10 of the 1924 Constitution and Chapter XI of the 1936 Constitution, with the electoral laws enacted in conformity with those.

The right to vote and to be elected to the soviets is enjoyed by the following citizens of both sexes, irrespective of religion, nationality, domicile, etc., of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, who shall have completed their eighteenth year by the day of election: (a) All who have acquired the means of livelihood through labor that is productive and useful to society, and also persons engaged in housekeeping which enables the former to do productive work, i.e., laborers and employees of all classes who are employed in industry, trade, agriculture, etc., and peasants and Cossack agricultural laborers who employ no help for the purpose of making profits.

NOTE 1: Local soviets may, upon approval of the central power, lower the age standard mentioned herein.

; (c) Private merchants, trade and commercial brokers; (d) Monks and clergy of all denominations; (e) Employees and agents of the former police, the gendarme corps, and the Okhrana (Czar's secret service), also members of the former reigning dynasty; (f) Persons who have in legal form been declared demented or mentally deficient, and also persons under guardianship; (g) Persons who have been deprived by a soviet of their rights of citizenship because of selfish or dishonorable offenses, for the period fixed by the sentence.

Elections of deputies are universal: all citizens of the U.S.S.R. who have reached the age of eighteen, irrespective of race or nationality, religion, educational and residential qualifications, social origin, property status or past activities, have the right to vote in the election of deputies and to be elected, with the exception of insane persons and persons who have been convicted by a court of law and whose sentences include deprivation of electoral rights.

However, direct elections for township or industrial soviets were allowed to be competitive in theory, with candidates of different organizations other than the Communist Party and even the Orthodox Church allowed to fill the paperwork,[citation needed] although constant disenfranchisement of their voters and persecution of any activism during the campaign was the norm.

The elections in the Soviet Union would be held every 4 years for the citizens to go to the polling station and vote for a single candidate.

[11] In order to keep the public display of personal reaffirmation, elections were held not to please the citizens of the Soviet Union, instead, they were meant to show unity within their population.

Anita Pisch argues that Stalin's obsession to create an almost cult-like following “Stalin came to be portrayed in a manner that suggested a dual, Christ-like nature, or deity.”[13] To have a high amount of patriotism under his rule gave him the ability to choose whatever he wanted without large repercussions.

Even with a single candidate on the ballot, representatives could theoretically fail to get elected in the Soviet Union, but this did not happen above the lowest levels.

Although not the definition of democracy, the Soviet people would still have the choice to keep or to basically "request" a new candidate from the Communist Party.

The new constitution was enacted by the former Congress of Soviets and signed by former General Secretary Joseph Stalin.

In accordance with the provisions of the constitution, the nation prepared for the first legislative elections scheduled for the future Supreme Soviet (both federal and republican).

As promised by the government a multi-candidate election was held but was soon corrupted after the Great Purge, a time of political distrust and oppression.

Many political candidates and threats to the CPSU were arrested as part of an effort to ensure the victory of the Communist party.

As a result, only one candidate was left standing halfway through the election process, Joseph Stalin's choice, Vyacheslav Molotov.

The night of February 9, 1946, Stalin walked out onto a stage and was greeted by a grand audience of voters.

Out of an eligible population of 101,718,000, approximately 325,000 people had their voting rights revoked for a multitude of reasons.

Also for the first time, members of the Red Army were allowed to cast their votes outside of the Soviet Union, in small districts of 100,000 each.

As a result, Joseph Stalin was reelected as premier, his first full term of four years as head of government.

This was a large increase from the previous election and showed a positive growth rate for voter support for him.

Held during the Khruschev Thaw this was the first ever federal legislative elections following the landmark address On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences that ended the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1956.

Many of the CPSU candidates to the Supreme Soviet that year expressed confidence that the gains of De-Stalinization would be further institutionalized in the legislature.