Candidates had to be nominated by the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) (CPSU) or by a public organisation.[2] However, all public organisations were controlled by the party and were subservient to a 1931 law that required them to accept party rule.[2] The CPSU itself remained the only legal party in the country.[3]
Voters could in theory vote against the CPSU candidate, but could only do so by using polling booths, whereas votes for the party could be cast simply by submitting a blank ballot.[2] Turnout was required to be over 50% for the election to be valid.[2]
Candidates
CPSU candidates accounted for around three quarters of the nominees, whilst many of the others were members of Komsomol.[4]