Russian Activists Launch Signature Campaign For Election Reform

ROSTOV-NA-DONU -- Activists in Russia's Rostov Oblast have started a public action aimed at reforming Russia's election laws, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports.

The action is called "Sign A Letter To The President" and consists of an open appeal to President Dmitry Medvedev to carry out democratic reforms "in order to restore public trust in the backbone of civil society -- elections."

During local elections on October 11, an election commission member in the city of Azov was caught on video trying to add several hundred ballots marked for the incumbent mayor, a member of the ruling United Russia party, to the votes cast.

And investigation into the incident has been launched.

The activists hope to collect at least 1 million signatures.