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Three days of voting have begun in Russia. Here’s what’s happening at polling stations in the first hours.
Observers not allowed into polling stations
- In Solnechnogorsk, near Moscow, around 70 observers from the Communist Party were unable to start work. One of them was told their entry was denied because of a “non-functioning flash drive.”
- In Moscow, a Communist Party observer was removed from polling station No. 2052 with police present. According to State Duma candidate Vera Ganza, the reason was that the observer “was walking around the polling station too much.”
- In St Petersburg, more than 250 of Yabloko’s 430 observers could not begin work. In Leningrad oblast, the Communist Party reported another 279 observers denied entry.
Public sector workers forced to vote and report turnout
- In Yakutsk, in the Russian Far East, teachers have been asked to report every two hours on whether the parents of their pupils have voted. School staff themselves say they are being told to vote specifically on 18 September.
- In Mytishchi, a commuter town outside Moscow, a voter said that after voting they had to send their geolocation to their employer to confirm attending the required polling station. At another location, there was a queue of employees from Mytishchi Heating Network and Vodokanal, the local utilities.
- In Irkutsk Region (in Siberia), Krasnoyarsk Krai (central Russia), and Bashkortostan (the southern Urals), there are reports of queues made up of public sector workers. In some cases, according to “7×7,” people were brought to the polling stations by bus.
- In Altai Krai, a large region in southwestern Siberia, MP Maria Prusakova says public sector workers are being forced to vote electronically and are given the names of specific candidates.
If you have any questions about the elections or information about violations, message us in the bot. You can also read our guide on how to prepare for voting and keep yourself safe.