More than a thousand Muscovites have demanded that election officials recognize their support for opposition politicians' candidacy in September

More than a thousand Muscovites have petitioned city election officials, demanding that they recognize their endorsements of opposition candidates for September’s Moscow City Duma elections. According to the newspaper Kommersant, supporters for 11 rejected candidates have appealed to the authorities. Moscow Election Commission member Dmitry Reut told journalists that his office will acknowledge any candidacy endorsements, if it turns out that they were invalidated improperly.

Election officials previously refused to register 57 candidates in upcoming elections, including many independent politicians, who say the city illegally used technicalities to keep them off the ballot.

Since July 14, rejected opposition candidates have held daily protests in Moscow, demanding access to the ballot in this September’s elections. These politicians have a permit to stage a larger rally on Saturday, July 20.