Third day of early voting: turnout discrepancies growing
On March 20, the third day of early voting in the local council elections, observers of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" registered a number of violations: the most common of which is a significant overstatement of voter turnout as compared to observers’ estimations.
In Mahiliou-based PEC No. 101, observers counted 84 votes, and according to PEC, there were 106 voters. Even greater difference in numbers is marked in Homel PEC No. 8: 13 people according to observers, and 86 in the commission’s protocol; in Homel PEC No. 9, 26 and 146 voters respectively.
During the third day of early voting, observers working at polling station No. 43 in Baranavichy registered 92 voters, while the commission said there were 106 votes. In PEC No. 49, 60 and 71 respectively.
In Mahiliou, as evidenced by the observers, students of lyceum No. 1 and workers living in the dormitory of the Mahateks company have been forced to vote early. As a result, PEC No. 12, located on the territory of these companies, is marked by huge differences in data on turnout at the polls: observers - 290 and commission - 511.
In PEC No. 57, the figures are as follows: 45 and 75, respectively. In PEC No. 40 – 122 and 172, respectively. By the way, the ballot box at lunch break and at night is stored here in an unsealed room with free access of unauthorized persons. As a result, the difference in voter turnout has reached 50 people.
Discrepancies in turnout are also marked in Vitsebsk. Observers at polling station No. 58 note that the ballot box in during lunch time and at night is stored in an unsealed room. The end-of-day turnout results say there were 50 more ballots cast than the number of those who did receive the ballots (81 and 131, respectively).
In addition, some state-owned enterprises of Vitsebsk promised that everyone who voted early could leave work one hour earlier on Friday, March 21.
Observers report a tendency of large discrepancies in voter turnout in the PECs densely populated by either students or workers living in dormitories.
"Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections"
