On October 25th, local elections were held in Ukraine. Our article deals with the issues of the voting process, cases of election fraud, voter turnout and what one can do in case of violation of his/her rights as a voter.

Election-law violations

According to Civil Network OPORA, in Kyiv, Vinnytsia and Volyn regions, observers reported an insufficient number of ballot boxes at certain polling stations.

In Khmelnytskyi region, at a polling station voting started before 8:00.

In Poltava, at polling station No. 531170, situated on Petro Yurchenko Street, 11/2, an OPORA’s observer, having arrived there, recorded the unpacked ballot papers on the table. The members of the election commission tried to push away the observer to the exit and later explained that they had unpacked the ballots to be destroyed.

The All-Ukrainian non-governmental organization “Committee of Voters of Ukraine” (CVU) also reported a number of violations. Among them, the epidemic-prevention rules were not observed at many polling stations. In Lutsk, at Election Commission No. 071093, the tables of the commission members had no protective screens. The situation was the same at Election Commission No. 071075. The CVU’s observers recorded similar cases in other regions as well.

In the city of Vinnytsia (Polling station No. 051582), at 07:15, the chief physician of the Vinnytsia Regional Hospital for War Veterans issued the instruction not to allow a CVU’s observer into the premises of the Election Commission No. 051582, reasoning this by the fact that the observer had not presented a PCR test.

The CVU’s observers reported queues at some polling stations. In particular, this happened in Lviv at the polling stations No. 461897 and 461896. Markings for social distance were not observed at some polling stations. Additionally, in Lviv (Election Commission No. 462028) some members of the commission did not wear masks and gloves or were wearing them incorrectly, the temperature screening was chaotic, there was only one antiseptic at the entrance, and social distance was not observed.

Additionally, the problems included the improper supply of commissions with election equipment. In Zhytomyr, at some polling stations located in Poliova district in the morning of the election day, there either were no voting booths at all, or they were delivered only at 5 a.m. in a disassembled form. The booths were only partially delivered to some polling stations. At polling station No. 181351, the booths were located in such a way that the secrecy of the ballot was not ensured.

In Lviv region (polling station No. 461852), significant organizational problems were recorded: antiseptics were delivered to the polling station only at 08:15, there were no markings for ensuring social distance, members of the commission were not wearing masks or were wearing them incorrectly.

In Kherson region (polling station No. 650758), the preparatory meeting started late. At polling station No. 650622, a police officer photographed the passports and ID cards of an observer and an authorized representative.

In Luhansk region, on the eve of election day, a candidate for the position of Chmyriv village head installed, in the evening of October 24th, video surveillance at polling stations No. 440569, 440571, 440592, 440593. These actions were carried out without the consent of the polling station commissions and despite their objections. The CVU’s observers appealed to the National Police.

Furthermore, as RBC-Ukraine reports with reference to the statement of Ihor Klymenko, the head of the National Police, the police recorded ‘merry-go-round voting’ in Kyiv, and in Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions. “From midnight we have been detaining buses carrying people around the regions. This is the so-called ‘merry-go-round voting’. Such cases occurred in Dnipropetrovsk region and in Kyiv,” he stated.

A voter bribery network was exposed in Kyiv region. The suspect of organizing the network is the commander of one of the departments at the University of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine. According to the commander’s instructions, which were disseminated in a mobile application, the cadets had to come to a certain polling station in the city of Irpin and cast their votes for the specific candidates from a certain political party. Each vote cost 1,5 thousand hryvnias.

The Kyiv City Police also detained two buses from Zhytomyr region. They were carrying more than 130 people who had allegedly come to the capital city to sell their votes. “According to the preliminary information, two months before the voting day, they had presented their passports to a certain person and received an advance payment in the amount of 200 hryvnias for the illegal participation in the elections in the capital city for a certain candidate. They were promised to be given another 800 hryvnias after the vote,” Zorian Shkiriak, an adviser to the Minister of Interior, wrote on his Facebook page.

According to Civil Network OPORA, ‘safe voting kits’ had been distributed near polling stations in Khmelnytskyi. Their packaging carried the name of a candidate for Khmelnytskyi City Council. The distribution of ‘kits’ was recorded at the entrance to the polling station No. 681518, which is located in Rakove district, as well as near the polling stations No. 681559, No. 681451, No. 681450, on Zalizniaka Street, 14/1, in Ozerna district.

The CVU also reports the facts of illegal campaigning by means of sending SMS messages on election day. For instance, in the city of Kamianets-Podilskyi, on the election day, voters received messages with the following text: “On October 25th – the only reliable choice is Batkivshchyna Party.”

Voter turnout at the Local Elections 2020

On October 25th, during the election of members and chairmen of local councils, voter turnout comprised 36,88%. Currently, this figure has already been mentioned as the lowest throughout the years of Ukraine’s independence. For example, let’s compare this percentage with the previous regular local elections: in 2015, voter turnout was 46,6% of the total population of Ukraine eligible to vote; in 2010 – 48,7%; in 2006 – 67,6%; in 1994, the highest voter turnout was registered – 75,6%.

Regarding the distribution of voter turnout by the regions, similarly to the previous years, voters were more active in Western and Central Ukraine: turnout in the 2020 elections in Ternopil region comprised 44,68%, and in Lviv region – 43,82%. In Kyiv, 34,42% of citizens came to the polls, and in Kyiv region, the turnout was even slightly higher – 36,66%.

Voters in Donetsk and Mykolaiv region appeared to be the most passive: the turnout amounted to 31,67% and 32,02% accordingly. Interestingly though, in 2019, during the presidential elections, citizens voted more actively and the voter turnout was 63,62%. In 2014, the percentage was lower – at the level of 59,5%. However, it is usual that more people go to the polls at presidential elections. So, what are the reasons for such low turnout this year? First of all, according to experts, the reason was the COVID-19 epidemic, due to which a large number of Ukrainians were either unable to come to polling stations due to being infected or did not want to risk their health and decided to avoid public places. Additionally, it is very likely that Ukrainians were even more disappointed with the political forces and did not want to choose either of the proposed parties. This provoked a general apathy towards the election process and the absence of a large number of citizens at the polling stations.

What should one do when his/her voting rights were breached?

Time after time during the elections, thousands of people with disabilities do not have adequate access to the election premises and face such issues:

the lack of ramps and physical access to polling stations;

the reluctance of election commission members to visit them at home, if such a need exists;

the violation of the right to secrecy of the ballot (especially important for the visually impaired);

the prohibition to use supporting aids (people with hearing impairments are sometimes forbidden to use a tablet or a phone for sign language translation or audio to text conversion);

verbal abuses.

If one’s rights have been breached during the election process, one has the right to file a complaint to:

The Central Election Commission;

The Territorial Election Commission;

The Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights;

Court.

A complaint to an election commission can be filed within two days from the violation, and to the administrative court – within 2-5 days.

A complaint can be written in any form, but, as a rule, it should specify the following:

The object of the complaint (the Territorial Election Commission and the name of the commission member);

The reason for the complaint;

The circumstances under which the violation occurred.

Remember that you must fight for the inclusiveness so that no one can violate your constitutional rights!

Note. The mission of the “Active Community” is to achieve prosperity through the democratic development of Ukrainian communities. The goal for 2025 is to activate and involve at least 1% of citizens in decision-making and promotion of reforms in Ukraine on a systemic basis for the well-being of Ukrainian communities. The initiative was created through the activities of the “Institute Respublica”. We are working to increase the civil activity of citizens.

Authored by Tetiana Kavunenko, the head of the press service of the “Institute Respublica” and the All-Ukrainian Initiative “Active Community”