Law on elections to local councils of workers' deputies of 1947: contents and political and legal commentary

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, elections of deputies of all levels of the Councils of Workers’ Deputies (the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Supreme Soviets of the Union and Autonomous Republics, and Local Soviets) were held in the Soviet state in 1946-1947. The elections were held on the basis of the Union Constitution of the USSR of 1936, the constitutions of the Union republics, in this case - the Constitution of the RSFSR (as amended in the period under review). In accordance with constitutional norms, election laws were adopted and adjusted. The article focuses on the elections to local Soviets of Workers’ Deputies, laws on which were adopted in the union republics. Accordingly, the Regulation on elections to regional, provincial, district, district, city, village and settlement Soviets of Workers’ Deputies of the RSFSR, adopted in October 1947, is analyzed in detail. This law regulated in detail the conduct of all stages of the electoral process. It is noted that in the post-war period there were no fundamental changes in the system of public (state) power, and accordingly, the organization of elections was carried out under the slogan of an “unbreakable bloc of communists and non-party members”, without an alternative, although this was not prohibited by law, with mandatory praise for Stalin, and under the control of the monopoly ruling All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks). Despite the overorganization of the elections, the absolute majority of deputies were truly respected Soviet citizens in society.