Rosstat announced the exact dates of the census

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree on the postponement of the main stage of the All-Russian population census for the period from October 15 to November 14 (before that it was planned from October 1 to October 31). It is reported by TASS with reference to Rosstat.

Rosstat came up with the initiative to change the dates of the census on July 24. According to the head of the department, Pavel Malkov, the population census will use the resources involved in holding a single voting day on September 19. And after the elections, it will be necessary to re-equip the premises, as well as establish an IT infrastructure to protect data. “People will need time to rest a little and switch to new tasks. The census will require a full concentration of forces, ”said Malkov.

The census was originally scheduled to take place in October 2020. However, in April, Rosstat proposed to postpone the census to next year due to the spread of the coronavirus. In February, the deadlines were again shifted to September, explaining the decision by the ongoing uncertainty with the epidemiological situation. Then Rosstat explained that they chose a new date based on an analysis of the situation with COVID-19 in 2020.

Then, Andrei Turchak, Secretary of the General Council of United Russia, proposed to transfer the census from September to October. He explained that the census will coincide with the election campaign, since elections to the State Duma are to be held in September. “If census takers and agitators go home at the same time, this will create unnecessary tension among people, an overlap somewhere will cause direct irritation. The census takers and employees of the election commissions who should inform about the elections are often the same people, especially in small towns and districts,” he said.