How does cost of living vary between cities. What factors impact the cost of living in different areas. How can you use a cost of living calculator to compare expenses across locations. What should you consider when evaluating the affordability of a new city.
Understanding Cost of Living: What It Is and Why It Matters
Cost of living refers to the amount of money needed to sustain a certain lifestyle in a given location. It encompasses various expenses like housing, transportation, food, and entertainment. Understanding the cost of living is crucial when considering a move to a new city or comparing different areas for financial planning purposes.
Why does cost of living matter? It directly impacts your purchasing power and quality of life. A higher salary in one city may not translate to a better standard of living if the cost of living is significantly higher. Conversely, a lower salary in a less expensive area could potentially allow for more discretionary spending and savings.
Key Components of Cost of Living
- Housing costs (rent or mortgage payments)
- Transportation expenses
- Food prices
- Healthcare costs
- Utilities
- Taxes
- Entertainment and leisure activities
Housing Costs: The Biggest Factor in Cost of Living
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, housing represents the largest expense for most consumers. This includes not only rent or mortgage payments but also associated costs like property taxes, insurance, and maintenance.
How much do housing costs vary between cities? The differences can be substantial. For example, the median home price in San Francisco is over $1.3 million, while in Cleveland it’s around $100,000. Similarly, average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in New York City can exceed $3,000 per month, compared to under $1,000 in many midsize cities.
Factors Influencing Housing Costs
- Local real estate market conditions
- Supply and demand for housing
- Proximity to urban centers and amenities
- Quality of local schools
- Crime rates and neighborhood safety
- Economic factors like job growth and income levels
Transportation: The Second Largest Expense Category
Transportation costs are typically the second-largest expense category for most households. These expenses can vary dramatically depending on where you live and your lifestyle choices.
In cities with extensive public transportation systems, many residents can forgo car ownership altogether. However, in more car-dependent areas, expenses like gas, insurance, maintenance, and parking can add up quickly.
Comparing Transportation Costs
How do transportation costs differ between cities? Consider these examples:
- New York City: A monthly unlimited subway pass costs $127
- Los Angeles: The average driver spends over $2,000 annually on gas alone
- Chicago: A monthly public transit pass is $105
- Houston: With limited public transit, most residents rely on cars, spending an average of $1,152 per year on auto insurance
Food Costs: A Significant Portion of Household Budgets
Food expenses, including groceries and dining out, represent a substantial portion of most household budgets. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average American household spends over $8,000 per year on food.
How much do food costs vary by location? While differences aren’t as extreme as housing costs, they can still be significant. Factors like local agriculture, transportation costs, and competition among retailers all play a role in determining food prices.
Sample Grocery Price Comparisons
| Item | New York City | Dallas | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallon of milk | $4.52 | $3.29 | $4.79 |
| Dozen eggs | $3.69 | $2.99 | $4.49 |
| Loaf of bread | $3.99 | $2.49 | $4.79 |
Entertainment and Leisure: The Discretionary Spending Category
While not as essential as housing or food, entertainment and leisure activities contribute significantly to quality of life and overall cost of living. These expenses can vary widely based on personal preferences and local options.
How do entertainment costs differ between cities? Let’s compare some common leisure activities:
- Movie ticket: $16.75 in Los Angeles vs. $10.25 in Atlanta
- Fitness club membership: $92.38/month in Washington D.C. vs. $39.99/month in Phoenix
- Restaurant meal for two: $80 in San Francisco vs. $50 in Columbus, Ohio
Using Cost of Living Calculators: Tools for Informed Decision-Making
Cost of living calculators are valuable tools for comparing expenses across different cities. These calculators typically use data on housing, transportation, food, and other costs to provide a comprehensive comparison.
How do you use a cost of living calculator? Most tools allow you to input your current city, potential new city, and income. The calculator then provides an estimate of the equivalent income needed in the new city to maintain your current standard of living.
Benefits of Using Cost of Living Calculators
- Quickly compare multiple cities
- Understand salary requirements for maintaining lifestyle
- Identify potential areas for cost savings
- Make more informed decisions about relocation or job offers
Factors Beyond the Numbers: Quality of Life Considerations
While cost of living calculators provide valuable quantitative data, it’s important to consider qualitative factors as well. These elements can significantly impact your overall satisfaction and well-being in a new location.
Quality of Life Factors to Consider
- Climate and weather patterns
- Cultural amenities and diversity
- Outdoor recreation opportunities
- Healthcare quality and accessibility
- Educational options
- Job market and career opportunities
- Proximity to family and friends
How do you evaluate these less tangible factors? Research is key. Look for city rankings, read local news sources, and if possible, visit potential new locations to get a firsthand feel for the area.
Strategies for Managing Cost of Living Differences
If you’re considering a move to a more expensive area, or simply looking to reduce your current living expenses, there are several strategies you can employ to manage cost of living differences.
Tips for Reducing Living Expenses
- Housing: Consider living with roommates, exploring less expensive neighborhoods, or downsizing your living space.
- Transportation: Use public transit, carpool, or consider biking or walking for short trips.
- Food: Cook at home more often, buy in bulk, and take advantage of local farmers markets.
- Entertainment: Look for free or low-cost events, use library resources, and explore outdoor activities.
- Utilities: Invest in energy-efficient appliances and be mindful of usage.
How effective can these strategies be? While individual results vary, many people find they can significantly reduce their expenses by making mindful choices in these areas.
The Impact of Taxes on Cost of Living
Taxes play a crucial role in determining the overall cost of living, yet they’re often overlooked in basic comparisons. Different states and cities have varying tax structures that can significantly impact your take-home pay and purchasing power.
Key Tax Considerations
- State income tax rates (some states have no income tax)
- Sales tax rates (which can vary by city and county)
- Property tax rates
- Special local taxes (e.g., city income taxes in some areas)
How much can taxes affect your cost of living? Consider this example: A $100,000 salary in Seattle (no state income tax) would need to be about $115,000 in San Francisco to maintain the same after-tax income, due to California’s high state income tax rates.
Remote Work and Its Impact on Cost of Living Considerations
The rise of remote work has dramatically changed how many people think about cost of living. With the ability to work from anywhere, some individuals are choosing to move to less expensive areas while maintaining their higher salaries from previous locations.
Potential Benefits of Remote Work for Cost of Living
- Ability to choose lower cost of living areas
- Reduced transportation costs
- Potential for lower housing costs
- More flexibility in lifestyle choices
How significant can the savings be? A worker earning a San Francisco salary who relocates to a midsize Midwestern city could potentially save tens of thousands of dollars annually on housing and other expenses.
Long-Term Financial Planning and Cost of Living
Understanding cost of living differences is crucial not just for immediate budgeting, but also for long-term financial planning. Your ability to save for retirement, pay off debt, or achieve other financial goals can be significantly impacted by your cost of living.
Financial Planning Considerations
- Retirement savings: How much you need to save may vary based on expected cost of living
- Debt repayment: Higher cost of living areas may make it more challenging to pay off debts quickly
- Homeownership goals: Down payment requirements and mortgage affordability vary widely by location
- Education costs: College savings needs may differ based on in-state tuition rates and living expenses
How can you incorporate cost of living into your financial planning? Work with a financial advisor who can help you model different scenarios based on potential locations and lifestyle choices.
Future Trends in Cost of Living
While it’s impossible to predict the future with certainty, several trends are likely to impact cost of living in the coming years. Understanding these potential shifts can help you make more informed decisions about where to live and work.
Factors That May Influence Future Cost of Living
- Climate change and its impact on housing and insurance costs in certain areas
- Continued growth of remote work and its effect on housing markets
- Technological advancements that may reduce some costs (e.g., renewable energy lowering utility bills)
- Demographic shifts as populations age in different regions
- Infrastructure investments that could change transportation costs and accessibility
How might these trends affect your long-term plans? While specifics will vary, it’s wise to consider potential future changes when making major life decisions like buying a home or choosing a career path.
Understanding and comparing cost of living across different locations is a complex but crucial task for anyone considering a move or evaluating their financial situation. By utilizing cost of living calculators, considering both quantitative and qualitative factors, and staying informed about economic trends, you can make more informed decisions about where to live and work. Remember that while cost of living is an important consideration, it’s just one piece of the puzzle in creating a fulfilling and financially stable life.
Cost of Living Calculator | City and Salary Comparison Tool
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Compare the cost of living in 2 cities.
Current cityIf you can’t find a city, you can type the state name to see all cities available in that state.
New city
Pre-tax household income
Los Angeles-Long Beach
Comparable Income: $40,721
Miami-Dade County
Comparable Income: $32,025
Chicago
Comparable Income: $32,344
Boston
Comparable Income: $40,695
New York (Manhattan)
Comparable Income: $65,085
Philadelphia
Comparable Income: $28,367
Afford the city you want to live in
Get free guidance on changes you can make to afford more home, without spending more.
Where does the data come from?
Core cost of living data is from The Cost of Living Index – COLI from the Council for Community and Economic Research, or C2ER. Researchers conducted price collection in each city at a specified time and followed specific standards.
Education data was provided courtesy of Greatschools, a nationwide ratings system that evaluates schools based on performance on state achievement tests, graduation rates and other factors.
NerdWallet’s calculator doesn’t include tax data, which can vary by and within metropolitan areas.
How is this tool different from other resources out there?
If you want more information about one of the cities you’ve compared, you can use NerdWallet’s City Life tool for data on local schools and businesses, walkability and demographics — more than basic cost comparisons. You can see Manhattan’s page here. Input the city name and state abbreviation for other locations to see their information.
What is ‘cost of living’?
One of most important determinations you need to make before moving to a new city or town is how much it will cost to live there. “Cost of living” is the amount of money you need to sustain a certain lifestyle in a given place.
Because the price of goods and services varies from one city to the next, calculating the cost of living will determine how affordable it is to live in a certain area.
The expenses that factor into cost of living can include housing affordability, transportation expenses, food prices and entertainment costs. Cost of living is also tied to income, as salary levels in a geographic area are measured against these expenses.
What is the breakdown of the cost of living?
Housing costs: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the largest bill consumers pay each month is for housing. Whether that’s a mortgage or rent, a large percentage of your salary will go toward your housing expenses. Home prices, property taxes and monthly rents vary from state to state, city to city, town to town and even neighborhood to neighborhood. For homeowners, there are more expenses to consider than just the monthly mortgage payment. There are also maintenance costs, upgrades, taxes and fees to take into account when deciding where to live.
Transportation: Unless you’re lucky enough to work from home, you will need to factor in transportation costs when deciding where to live.
According to the BLS, transportation is the second-largest expense consumers have. For some, these costs include taking public transportation. For others, it involves driving your car, and that means factoring in car repairs, gas, tolls and parking. Proximity to employment is an important consideration because it can drastically impact your cost of living.Food: Weekly trips to the grocery store can add up, especially if food costs are high where you live. According to the latest BLS data, consumers average over $8,000 per year on food expenses. There are ways to trim that down. You could eat out less, cut back on takeout and cook more often. But even then, the price of groceries is going to significantly influence your cost of living.
Entertainment: A movie ticket, a pint of beer, box seats at a baseball game — they can all come with a different price tag depending upon where you live. And it adds up. Americans spend an average of more than $3,500 per year on entertainment.
But just like with food costs, you can curb how much you spend on entertainment by altering your behavior.Healthcare costs: On average, Americans spend almost $5,500 per year on healthcare costs. For most people, the bulk of these costs are made up by insurance premiums, but if you’re uninsured — or are considering an area with few in-network providers — healthcare costs may play a role in where you decide to live.
Education: Some of the metro areas covered by this calculator also include a GreatSchools score, which gives public schools a 1-10 rating. If you’re moving to an area with excellent public schools, your education costs may remain low — most Americans pay about $1,200 per year — but if you decide you’d prefer private schools for your child, this may also factor into your cost of living.
According to the BLS, transportation is the second-largest expense consumers have. For some, these costs include taking public transportation. For others, it involves driving your car, and that means factoring in car repairs, gas, tolls and parking. Proximity to employment is an important consideration because it can drastically impact your cost of living.
But just like with food costs, you can curb how much you spend on entertainment by altering your behavior.What is a cost of living index?
A cost of living index allows you to directly compare what it costs to live in one area against another, helping you understand how far your money can go in each place.
For example, the cost of living in San Francisco is twice that of Twin Falls, Idaho. Whether you use a cost of living index or a cost of living calculator, each will help you feel more confident in deciding where to live.
About the calculator
NerdWallet’s cost of living calculator is powered by data from C2ER. According to the council, its cost of living index “is the only local level cost of living index available for the U.S.” It adds that, “Items on which the Index is based have been carefully chosen to reflect the different categories of consumer expenditures.”
C2ER was founded in 1961, and it continues to exist today as a nonprofit organization. It has published its quarterly Cost of Living Index since 1968. It is comprised of data about “over 60 goods and services collected at the local level from over 300 independent researchers.”
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Admin, Mom, Chef, Poet, Storyteller
Tower Hill’s new head of school is Sarah Baker.
Tower Hill’s new head of school Sarah Baker believes her job is to be the chief storyteller of the Wilmington private college preparatory school.
“There’s a great quote by C.S. Lewis, ‘We read to know we are not alone,’ and I believe that,” she said.
Baker, who graduated from Duke University with a degree in history and a minor in Latin and developmental psychology, said her passion throughout her time as an educator has been teaching students how to write.
“I was particularly connected to the opportunities for self-expression that kids had in the English classroom,” she said.
In 2010, Baker earned her master’s of education from the University of Pennsylvania.
Books are a huge part of Baker’s life, and she’s brought that love for literature into her household with her husband Scott, her 5-year-old son Cover and her 2-year-old daughter Alice.
Their lives revolve around food, books and physical activity, she said.
“We read with the children every day for long periods of time, and our son is really starting to be able to read himself which is exciting.”
The family cooks together and loves going to farmers markets or to the Italian market in Philadelphia, where Baker roamed as a child.
“We gather up what we need to make things, and my son loves to throw dinner parties with me, which is just the coolest thing,” she said.
Baker typically finishes a book a week, but has a constant rotation of a fiction book, a nonfiction piece and a food memoir, which she said is her favorite to read.
“Writing food memoirs is actually an elective course I taught here at Tower Hill, where kids wrote their own food memoirs and at the end of the course finished multi-chapter works,” she said. “They were just remarkable for what they were expressing with themselves and their families by talking about their food traditions.
”
When reading nonfiction, she tends to pick books that deal with history or ones that are related to her practice as an educational leader.
Baker’s favorite fictional author is Alice Monroe.
“The way she talks about the experience of a woman, particularly the life phases of many of the women in her stories, is meditative for me to read,” she said. “I used to read them sometimes to better understand my mom and now I read them to better understand myself.”
She’s such a reader that she even has her rotation of books in her email signature.
Right now it reads: “Just Read: Stolen Focus by Johann Hari. Reading Now: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Reading Next: Uncommon Sense Teaching by Barbara Oakley.”
Baker wants to help students to find and explore what absorbs and thrills them.
“And we want to make sure that they don’t define themselves too early,” she said. “It’s important that they have room to surprise themselves and to continue to branch out.
”
Baker used to write poetry.
“For some reason I’m in a bit of a dry spell with poetry,” she said, “but right now my creativity is really coming through in my cooking.”
Baker said her journey in education started when she went to Episcopal Academy in Newton, Pennsylvania, from kindergarten through 12th grade.
“I learned the intimacy of a small community and the impact they have on a student’s sense of self-worth, value and confidence,” she said.
Part of her experience includes working at Episcopal Academy for seven years, serving as the dean and later chair of upper school English. She’s also taught English for several years.
Baker first started working at Tower Hill two years ago as head of the upper school.
Prior to that, she was the assistant head of the Upper School at Collegiate School in Richmond, Virginia, while serving as an associate instructor and mentor in her graduate program.
She said her transition from teacher to administrator has been smooth, but she holds teaching near and dear to her heart.
“There’s nothing like teaching for the immediacy of the impact that you can make on a child,” she said. “I love sitting with students and talking about what the content means to them, what skills they are developing and to think about where they are on their trajectory and sort of balancing helping them discover new abilities and capacities and also really dig deeply into those that they already know and show.”
Soon into her work as an admin, she noticed that the best leaders were teachers and their teams.
“If you’re really going to be a school that is continually a learning organization itself and models the best way of doing it to kids, that actually really has to be happening at every level all the way up through the administration,” she said.
Tower Hill was founded in 1919 and has 847 students at its lower, middle and upper schools. Tuition. Fees range from $25,800 to $33,800.
Baker has no plans to dramatically change Tower Hill.
“There’s so much about Tower Hill that should stay the same and that we should fiercely protect,” she said, “and it’s the stuff that I realized about the school when I first met it.
”
Some of those elements, she said, is a Montessori culture of mentorship and community, as well as socially and holistically developing children.
“One of my goals this fall is leading a strategic planning process with trustees and a group of constituents from across the community, including students,” she said. “We need to be very careful to know what should not change and not think about the plan as an about-face in any way but rather focus on how we can continue to safeguard what’s wonderful about this community.”
The school is set to publish a 3-year strategic plan sometime next school year.
Baker consistently reminds herself not to pretend that after two years in the community she knows what buttons to push to lead it well, which is why she’s so determined to listen and engage Tower Hill families to gauge their needs.
“I see my role, even though I’ve been here for two years, as one that is primarily responsible for asking good, strategic, catalytic questions,” she said.
“I need to be engaged with the mind of a learner and I need to be curious and I need to ask questions, and eventually, I’ll need to use what I learned from people’s genuine responses to those questions to make good decisions and then assess their outcomes.”
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Jarek Rutz
Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.
Jarek can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz
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how to quickly find your polling station, where you can vote with your dog and listen to Mota
September elections will be held in a new, post-COVID reality for three days – from September 17 to 19
Elections of deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the eighth convocation will last for three days – from 17 to 19September.
In parallel, by-elections to the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan will be held. On the eve of the program #TatarstanOnline, Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Tatarstan Andrey Kondratyev told why the voting will last three days and why the Public Observation Center was created in the republic.
Three-day elections due to post-COVID reality
September elections to the lower house of the federal parliament will be held in a new, post-COVID reality. The changed voting format is also associated with this factor – the elections will be held within three days, from 17 to 19September. This was announced on the eve of the live program #TatarstanOnline by the Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Tatarstan Andrey Kondratyev.
“We are in a different reality related to the pandemic. Coronavirus, unfortunately, has not gone anywhere. And therefore, all those electoral practices that were successfully applied last year (related to the epidemic safety of citizens) will be fully used in this election campaign,” Kondratiev emphasized.
Andrei Kondratiev said that 89% of employees of the apparatus of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Tajikistan were vaccinated against coronavirus
Photo: © Salavat Kamaletdinov / IA “Tatar-inform”
Earlier, at a press conference of Tatar-inform news agency, Andrey Kondratiev said that 89% of the employees of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Tatarstan were vaccinated against Covid-19 coronavirus. Among the members of precinct election commissions, 65-66% are vaccinated.
“Very responsible people work in precinct commissions. These are teachers, doctors… We now have a serious security of the electoral system, – said the head of the CEC of Tatarstan. “Today, about 65-66% of the members of precinct commissions have already been vaccinated.”
Kondratiev explained that “immune protection” is guaranteed not only by those who have been vaccinated, but also by those who have recently recovered from Covid-19 and have immune protection.
“Let’s add another 10 percent. In total, the overall immune protection of precinct commissions is 78–79%,” Kondratiev noted. – As for the CEC apparatus, 89% of us have been vaccinated. I think these are good indicators.”
The head of the CEC recalled that vaccination is a voluntary decision, but everyone must remember that they are responsible not only for themselves and their health, but also for the lives of those around them.
You can conveniently and quickly find out your polling station for voting in the upcoming Duma elections using the electronic services of the CEC of Russia
Photo: © Vladimir Vasiliev / IA “Tatar-inform”
How to quickly find out the address of your polling station
You can conveniently and quickly find out your polling station for voting in the upcoming Duma elections using the electronic services of the CEC of Russia, as well as using the special telegram bot “My polling station”.
The Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Tatarstan noted that in the context of the pandemic, the traditional paper format of notifications began to rapidly move online.
Now you can find out the polling station attached to a specific territory without leaving your home.
“Before, there were paper announcements, they also walked around the entrances and personally announced your polling station number. Now we do not support this format – this cannot be done [in a pandemic]. You can find out where your site is on any thematic resource, ”Kondratyev explained.
He cited the portals of the Central Election Commission of Tatarstan and Russia, the special telegram bot “My polling station” and others as an example. In all the above cases, the voter is only required to enter the address of his residence – in response, the “smart” electronic system will issue the number and address of the polling station for a particular territory.
It will be possible to vote at some polling stations in Kazan, taking your dog with you.
In the Vakhitovsky district of the city, this is the Soyuz teenage club (Motornaya st., 31a), in the Kirovsky district – the Zarechye additional education center (23 Okolnaya st.
), in the Novo-Savinovsky district – a site in house No. 46 along Sibgata street Hakim, and in Sovetsky – Voznesenskoye Palace of Culture (Nardugan St., 45).
The mayor’s office of Kazan notes that “your pet will be welcome there if you don’t want to part with it at all.”
It will be possible to vote at some polling stations in Kazan, taking a dog with you
Photo: © Salavat Kamaletdinov / IA “Tatar-inform”
The future of the electoral system lies with remote electronic voting
In the future, young people will give preference to remote voting, but the traditional format of elections will not go away either, Andrey Kondratyev believes.
“This is just an additional option, a possibility. Traditional voting is not going anywhere. It is mainly used by young people. In the spring, in the month of May, Tatarstan underwent testing and training in the field of electronic voting. I am confident with a high degree of probability that we will definitely use remote voting in the next election campaign,” the speaker explained.
In Moscow, for example, over 2.5 million voters decided to vote remotely during the application campaign.
“This is a very serious indicator, so I believe that the issue of remote voting should be approached consciously, this opportunity should be available to the voters of Tatarstan. And it will be obligatory,” Kondratyev assured.
The chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Tatarstan said to himself that he uses all digital opportunities and supports all communication formats: he has TikTok, he takes part in live broadcasts. According to Kondratiev, this format of interaction with voters from the youth audience is much more convenient and productive.
“One of the conditions of the placement scheme is that at the time of voting, the voter’s ballot is not under the camera lens. The secrecy of the vote will be absolutely preserved”
Photo: © Vladimir Vasiliev / IA “Tatar-inform”
Video recording at polling stations will not violate the secrecy of voting
An extensive network of video cameras covering all polling stations of the republic will not violate the principle of secrecy of voting in three-day elections.
Andrei Kondratyev explained that the placement of the cameras took place in strict accordance with the resolution of the Russian Central Election Commission.
“One of the conditions for this layout is that at the time of voting, the voter’s ballot is not under the camera lens. The secrecy of the vote is absolutely preserved,” Kondratyev emphasized.
All video recording systems at the polling stations are set up so that their field of vision first of all falls on the platform of a special cabinet where safe packages with ballots are stored. This allows for unprecedented voting transparency.
All Tatarstan polling stations for the upcoming Duma elections are equipped with modern video surveillance and video recording systems. The only exception will be a few sites located in places of temporary residence of citizens (in hospitals, places of detention, etc.).
The polling stations will be broadcast around the clock at the Republican Public Observation Center.
There, representatives of the public, political parties, the CEC of the Republic of Tatarstan, as well as caring citizens who have undergone the necessary technical training in advance will be able to follow everything that happens.
The day before, the final training session related to the video surveillance process was successfully held throughout the country. From that moment until the end of the elections, the cameras will not turn off. “We have never had such unprecedented openness and control over electoral procedures,” Kondratiev stressed.
All Tatarstan polling stations for the upcoming Duma elections are equipped with modern video surveillance and video recording systems
Photo: © Vladimir Vasiliev / IA “Tatar-inform”
He added that such a wide coverage in terms of recording what is happening at the polling stations brings Russia to the leading position in terms of voting transparency.
“In our republic, 1,145 polling stations have been taken under video surveillance.
There are at least two cameras for each section, and in large areas it is three cameras. Video recording systems have been installed at other polling stations,” said the head of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Tatarstan.
One of the distinguishing features of the current election campaign is the presence of a special cabinet for safe packages. “And all the processes of transferring ballots into safe packages from portable boxes take place under the special control of the video recording system,” Andrey Kondratyev explained.
The equipment used for surveillance is modern and allows you to see everything that happens in the areas even in low light conditions. The cameras will work around the clock, they are connected to uninterruptible power supplies. In addition, they contain memory cards that will save the recorded data in case of force majeure.
The video surveillance center, which collects data from all polling stations of the republic, operates on the basis of the Public Chamber.
This is a large center that allows everyone who expresses such a desire to join the observation of the vote. 48 sites are simultaneously broadcast on the video wall, in addition, there are automated workstations, each of which can simultaneously display up to four more sections. At the same time, together with party observers, you can watch broadcasts from 272 polling stations.
14 registered political parties and 3910 candidates are participating in the federal election campaign
Photo: © Vladimir Vasiliev / IA “Tatar-inform”
Elections demonstrate serious competition among candidates
Elections of deputies of the lower house of parliament are held on the basis of a mixed electoral system. In accordance with it, 225 deputies are elected in single-member constituencies (one deputy – one constituency), and another 225 deputies – in a federal constituency in proportion to the number of votes cast for federal lists of candidates.
There are 14 registered political parties and 3910 candidates in the federal election campaign.
All of them are applying for 225 mandates, the competition is 17 people per seat.
“We elect 225 candidates in the federal district, this is when voters vote for parties, there are 112 candidates registered in Russia as a whole. 3910 applicants in the federal district for 225 mandates – this is 17 people per seat. There are six districts in Tatarstan. In these six districts, 53 candidates have registered – this is a very serious competition,” said the head of the CEC of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Tatarstan residents also vote in two districts for the deputies of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan of the VI convocation, these are the Azin constituency and the Student constituency. There are 52,250 voters in the Azinsky District, and 73,700 voters in the Student District (Nizhnekamsky District).
Traditionally, on the election days in Kazan on the territory of the Ak Bars Arena, a big concert will be held with headliners of the Tatar and Russian stage
Photo: © Mikhail Zakharov / IA “Tatar-inform”
Uma2rman, Mot, Gazmanov, Tasty Kazan and free museums
A show with Russian and Tatar pop stars, a gastronomic festival, free visits to museums — this is how Kazan citizens will remember the election days.
Today at 19.00 and 21.00 at the site near the Kazan Family Center there will be an open-air cinema with feature films broadcast. Also on Friday, Bauman Street will host the filming of the Evening City talk show, where popular radio hosts will communicate with city residents for two hours on various topics related to the city.
On September 18 at 9.00, the Cross of the Nation will be held on the embankment of the Kazanka River. Those who wish will run 1, 2 and 3 kilometers. About 10,000 people will run the longest distance. Residents will also be able to pass TRP standards at the site.
Tasty Kazan gastrofestival will offer dishes from 50 cuisines from all over the world
Photo: © Mikhail Zakharov / IA Tatar-inform
On September 18 and 19, from 11:00 to 21:00, the Tasty Kazan gastrofestival will be held on the square in front of the Palace of Farmers, where you can taste dishes from 50 cuisines from around the world, attend master classes from Kazan chefs, and watch performances by national groups.
There will also be a battle between grandmothers and chefs. Grandmothers will cook their favorite dishes, and chefs will try to repeat them.
Youth venues will be given special attention on election days. Thus, Profsoyuznaya Street will become pedestrian on September 18. They organize a youth platform with activities, lectures, master classes and even a cocktail festival, which will be held from 15:00 to 22:00. The festival will include interactive street tours, lectures from Kazan bartenders who will talk about the industry and culture of their field, and young people will discuss trends in the development of street culture and environmental responsibility in business.
Entrance to the festival will be free, and those who come with the bracelet “I voted! / Min Tavysh birdem!” will be able to get a discount in almost all establishments that will be presented at the event.
Bracelet “I voted! / Min Tavysh birdem!” gives you the opportunity to get a discount in many institutions of the festival and the right to free travel on public transport
Photo: archive of IA “Tatar-inform”
Also on Profsoyuznaya you can visit the Swap Market, a table tennis tournament, a flower show, a graffiti festival and the performance “Seryozha’s Party”, in which Honored Artist of Tatarstan Pavel Gustov will play.
On Sunday, September 19, at 11:00 am, a big children’s party will begin in Derbyshki with a cryo show, relay race, master classes and animators. At noon, artists from the Youth Theater on Bulak will perform in Uritsky Park, master classes in drawing will be held, and a thematic photo zone will be organized. At the same time, a concert by the orchestra of the Kamal Tatar State Theater will be held on the Kaban Lake Embankment, which will present works from classical Tatar performances.
Traditionally, on the election days in Kazan, the Ak Bars Arena will host a big concert with the headliners of the Tatar and Russian stage. This year, the performance will begin on September 19 at 14.00 and will last until 22.00. Guzel Urazova, Firdus Tyamaev, Salavat Fatkhutdinov, Uma2rman, Filatov & Karas, rapper Mot and People’s Artist of Russia Oleg Gazmanov will take the stage.
Those who voted will meet with Guzel Urazova, Firdus Tyamaev, Salavat Fatkhutdinov, groups Uma2rman and Filatov & Karas, rapper Mot and People’s Artist of Russia Oleg Gazmanov
Photo: archive of IA “Tatar-inform”
Many additional activities will be organized near the stadium, including thematic playgrounds for young people, sports facilities, the Life Lover playground for the older population, and a literary courtyard with the participation of poets and writers from Tatarstan.
