In the local runoffs of November 19, the observers of Promo-LEX Association reported 126 incidents during the voting process. Among the most frequent violations were the unjustified presence of unauthorized persons inside polling stations or within a 100-m radius of these (31 cases) and also the photographing of ballot papers and other violations of the secrecy of the ballots (25 cases), IPN reports.
“These types of incidents can suggest a causal relationship with particular negative phenomena for influencing the voters’ will during the election campaign and can point to attempts to control or influence the behavior and decision of voters, including on election day,” the head of Promo-LEX’s election observation mission Nicolae Panfil told a news conference.
He noted that the polling stations on election day were opened mainly on time, without incidents. However, in 18 cases, the polling stations were opened earlier than 7 a.m. or with a delay, but these cases couldn’t affect somehow voters’ rights.
A number of 335 polling stations of the 574 were accessible to persons with locomotor disabilities. In one case, the polling station was closed earlier or later than 9 p.m. There were reported four cases of presence of advertising materials, posters, billboards within the 100-m radius of the polling station premises.
There were recorded six cases of restriction of observers’ access or obstruction of the free observation process in the polling station. In nine cases, the ballot boxes weren’t sealed according to the legal procedures, the boxes having been closed with two or three seals or having been sealed incorrectly.
The automated inflation system “Elections” sporadically malfunctioned. In eight cases, the system didn’t work because of power outages or because there was no Internet connection or the voters could not be identified by the system. In 12 cases, the filming of electoral operations to open the polling station or to count the votes was interrupted.
The election observation mission of Promo-LEX ascertained two cases of refusal to issue copies of all the requested vote count minutes even if the observers must have access to all the electoral data.
The vote count was generally swift and calm. The preliminary count of the votes for mayor of the municipality of Balti, performed by the election observation mission of Promo-LEX based on the collected minutes, didn’t reveal significant differences from the preliminary data announced by the Central Election Commission.
For the November 19 runoffs, the election observation mission of Promo-LEX delegated by one static short-term observer to oversee voting at 175 polling stations of the 620 stations established. The other 445 polling stations were monitored by 50 mobile teams consisting of two observers each. At 609 polling stations, the second round of voting was held, while at 11 stations the elections were rerun.
