MOSCOW, July 24, 2007 Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents information concerning the fact to what extent Russians trust the State Automated System of electoral vote count GAS "Vybory". The data were acquired within the framework of a survey, carried out by VCIOM upon the request of the Central Election Committee of the Russian Federation.

42% of Russians more likely trust the GAS "Vybory" (including 9% of the respondents who totally trust it), whereas 18% more likely distrust it (5% of them distrust it completely). One third of the respondents (32%) indicate that they do not know anything about the system.

The degree of awareness of the respondents in regard to GAS is higher in the groups of respondents possessing a higher level of education: if 44% of the respondents with the elementary education or lower do not know anything about it, then in the group with higher and unfinished higher education only half as much do not (23%). The share of those, who have confidence in GAS "Vybory", increases from 31% in the group with elementary education and lower to 47% in the group with the highest level of education. However, the share of those who have no confidence in it grows simultaneously (although the change is not as significant) from 15% to 22%.

The higher the respondents estimate the level of their financial standing, the more they are inclined to trust the automated system of electoral vote count and the better informed they are of it. In the group of respondents, who relate themselves to well-off classes, 48% trust the system (against are 17%); 45% in the group with middle financial standing trust the system (17% disagree with them); 32% in the group with low financial standing trust it (against are 21%). 28%, 30% and 39% of the respondents in these groups respectively do not know anything about the system.

The respondents supporting "Unified Russia" (50% against 14%), "Fair Russia" (45% against 14%) and LDPR (45% against 24%) would rather treat the system with confidence and trust. The estimations of those supporting the communist party KPRF are divided into two halves (29% against 30%).

The respondents, who approve of V.Putin's political activity as President of the country, generally possess a more positive attitude to the system (45% have confidence in it, 16% do not) than the respondents who disapprove of his work (37% against 30%).

Those who do not trust the state automated system "Vybory", primarily assume that there is a point of view that it is possible to manipulate the results of the elections with its help (45% indicate this). Furthermore, respondents do not know, who operates the system (22%), or do not understand the way it functions (20%), some of them do not understand, what this system is about and what it is for (16%). There is also a fear that hackers may hack the system (13%). There also exists an opinion that the votes should be counted by hand only (12%).

Respondents with the elementary education and lower explain their distrust to the system first of all by the fact that they do not understand the mechanism of its work (28%), also, it is generally unclear to them what the system is as such (26%). The respondents with the higher level of education are mainly disturbed by the possibilities to manipulate the elections results (40%-51%), and also by the absence of information about who the system is operated by (22%-24%). 21% of the respondents in the group with elementary education and lower and only 9% in the group with higher and unfinished higher education share the point of view that the votes should be counted by hand only.

The All-Russia opinion poll was conducted by VCIOM on May 17-27, 2007. 3000 respondents were interviewed in 153 population areas of 46 regions of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%.