14:19 25.10.2020

OPORA records facts of transporting voters in local elections, asks Ukrainians to report on "carousels"

3 min read

The OPORA civic network records the facts of illegal transporting of Ukrainians to vote, problems with voting premises and violations of the secrecy of voting at the local elections held on Sunday.

"The transportation of voters is being recorded. OPORA is attentive to those precincts where there was an unnatural increase in voters either by changing the electoral address or by registering the voter directly in these communities," said chairman of the board of the OPORA civil network Olha Aivazovska a briefing in Kyiv on Sunday.

"It became known about the incident in Odesa region. They [those who were brought up to vote] were offered UAH 400 per vote," she said.

Aivazovska urged Ukrainians: "It is important to record the transportation of voters. If you see such events, then call the police."

She also said that the observers of OPORA recorded a probable transportation of voters in the village of Novi Orzhyntsi, Kyiv region, and notified the police about this offense. "People have registration in Sumy, but they went to vote in Kyiv region," she said.

In general, according to Aivazovska, the morning sessions of election commissions, the opening of polling stations in their absolute majority began on time, and there were no problems for observers with access to polling stations.

"We have recorded problems in Zhytomyr region regarding the premises for voting, in particular, in two of them booths for secret expression of will were not made," said the head of the OPORA. According to her, at one of the polling stations, voting was to take place in the premises of the puppet theater, behind a screen that is used for entertainment.

In Hostomel, Kyiv region, cameras were installed at polling stations over voting booths, which could threaten the expression of will. At the request of the observers of OPORA, cameras were sealed.

Aivazovska also said that there are facts of incorrect storage of ballots. In particular, in Zhytomyr region, a lock box with ballots was in the village council, although it was guarded by police.

In Izmail, Odesa region, according to the head of OPORA, a special station in a medical institution has not started working. "There are, unfortunately, dozens of precincts where district election committee have not been formed for special sections that are in hospitals. It happened for various reasons, including because there are patients with COVID," said the head of OPORA.

As for the poll initiated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, then, according to Aivazovska, there was a case in Kyiv when representatives of the organization that provides this poll tried to conduct it directly at the polling station.

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