In Russia there are numerous complaints about violations in the parliamentary elections; Among other things, there are reports of forced voting and failed surveillance cameras. The electoral commission wants to examine the accusations.

After numerous complaints about forced voting in parliamentary elections in Russia, the Central Election Commission has announced an examination of the allegations. There are 137 notices from 45 regions of the country “about the obligation to vote,” said Election Supervisor Ella Pamfilova. Consequently, there should have also been pressure on voters to cast their vote in the new online process.

Multiple vote reports

According to its own information, the independent electoral observation organization Golos has already listed more than 2,000 violations. According to the organization, there should have been multiple votes. The pre-filled ballots were also packed into the polls.

Golos also posted numerous videos showing hundreds of uniformed workers and presumably the entire workforce of state-owned companies at polling stations. There had already been reports yesterday that government officials were being pressured to vote with massive pressure.

The footage of the long lines is now explained by the fact that officials were asked to vote around noon on Friday after the start of the three-day parliamentary elections. However, the vote was set for three days for the first time on the grounds that this was necessary in times of the crown pandemic to maintain social distance. Critics suggest that the longest choice is supposed to facilitate manipulation.

Complaints about failed surveillance cameras

There were also complaints from various parts of Russia that the surveillance camera had failed over and over again. In the past, those responsible for the violations have sometimes had problems with the authorities, due to the video evidence. This time, the observers also complained that the complaint letters were simply torn. Election supervisor Pamfilowa invited Golos to speak about the possible violations.

Electoral authority: foreign interference attempts

At the same time, the state electoral authority complains about interference attempts from outside. On the first day of the elections, three cyberattacks were recorded from Germany, the United States and Ukraine. The attacks were “quite strong”.

Two attacks were directed against the website of the electoral authority, its boss Alexander Sokolschuk said, according to the Interfax news agency. The third was a DDoS attack designed to slow down or paralyze websites.

The elections end this Sunday. Not only will the 450 members of the new State Duma be elected, but some new regional and municipal parliaments will also be elected. In a total of more than 4,400 elections, more than 31,000 new terms are granted.

Russia’s parliamentary elections overshadowed by accusations of manipulation

Stephan Laack, ARD Moscow, September 18, 2021 4:50 pm