In Ukraine at 7:00 voting began in the elections to the Verkhovna Rada, the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea, oblast, city, district, district-in-city, settlement, and village councils, as well as village, settlement, and city heads. \n \nVoting in Ukraine will last until 22:00. \n \nEven before the start of voting in Ukraine, the first to begin voting (at 00:01 Kyiv time) were Ukrainians located in Australia; the last to finish voting (at 8:00 on March 27 Kyiv time) will be Ukrainians in San Francisco (USA). \n \nUkrainian sailors on 151 vessels currently at sea, and polar explorers at the "Akademik Vernadsky Research Station" in Antarctica, will also vote in the elections. \nForty-five parties and blocs are participating in the Rada elections. \n \nTo enter the Rada, a party or bloc must receive at least 3% of the votes of voters who come to the elections. \n \nWith the entry into force of the political reform from January 1 of this year, Ukraine instead of a presidential-parliamentary became a parliamentary-presidential republic, and the Rada received more powers than the president. \n \nAfter the elections, based on the results of political agreements in the Rada, within 1 month after the start of sessions of the new parliament, a coalition of deputy factions and groups must be formed in the number of at least 226 deputies. \n\nThe coalition must form a government within 60 days, while the coalition proposes to the president a candidate for the post of prime minister and members of the Cabinet of Ministers, and the president within 15 days after that submits to the Rada a submission on the appointment of the prime minister by parliament. \n\nAccording to the Constitution, the president has the right to dissolve parliament if within a month the Rada does not form a coalition or within 60 days does not form the personal composition of the Cabinet. \n\nThe new parliament will become the fifth in a row since Ukraine's independence in 1991. \n\nOne of its main differences will also be that, in accordance with the new Constitution, it will work for 5 years instead of 4, like previous parliaments. \n\nElections to the new Rada are held on a proportional basis, under which parliament will be fully formed based on the results of voters' voting for one or another party they liked, or bloc. \n\nPreviously, Ukrainians elected half of the parliament (225 deputies) on a proportional basis, and the other half - under the majoritarian system, when in each of 225 districts 1 deputy was elected from among several candidates regardless of party affiliation. \n\nIn the new parliament, deputies will have an imperative mandate, which provides that a deputy cannot at his own will move from one faction to another, therefore in case of expulsion from a faction the deputy will be deprived of his powers. \n\nElections to the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea, oblast, city, district, and district-in-city councils are held, as for the parliament, on a proportional basis, while elections to settlement and village councils and village, settlement, and city heads - on a majoritarian basis. \n\nFor voting in the elections, 225 electoral districts have been created in Ukraine and 116 polling stations - in embassies and consulates of Ukraine abroad. \n\nAccording to the Central Election Commission as of February 1, a total of 36.8 million voters are registered in Ukraine. \n\n3,518 foreign observers will work at the elections. \n\nThe Ministry of Internal Affairs has sent about 74,000 police officers to protect public order near polling stations. \n \n