Promo-LEX: There continue to be reports of the organized transport of voters at more than 32 polling stations, there is a growing number of cases of photographing of ballots and ballots are running out in many polling stations abroad

Time: 19.30

The Promo-LEX Observation Mission for the Presidential Elections continues to receive reports of multiple cases of organized transport of voters at more than 32 polling stations. In addition, there is a growing trend of photographing ballots—60 cases. Promo-LEX observers outside the country also report that there are many polling stations abroad that have run out of ballots.

The unjustified presence of unauthorized people on the premises or within 50 meters of polling stations – 12 cases. Some examples follow:

• PS 57 Chișinău. A group of 4 people spent approximately 20 minutes in front of the PS and recorded the voters who came to the PS.
• PS 9 Ungheni. A PSEB member observed a person who recorded video of what was happening in the polling station through a window
• PS 33 Cahul. The mayor, once he had voted, remained in the PS and talked with PSEB members. An observer notified PSEB members and the mayor left the PS.
• PS 34 Chișinău. A man stayed in the PS for about 30 minutes. He left after police intervened.

Rumors, attempts and even incidents of material or monetary compensation being offered to voters within the perimeter and/ or on the premises of polling stations with the purpose of influencing voters – 6 cases. Some examples follow:

• PS 58 Florești. Voters who had come in minibuses from the other side of the Nistru to vote stopped on the way back on the other side of the river, where they were compensated for having voted.
• PS 49 ATUG. Within 100 m of the PS, voters were served wine after having voted.
• PS 308 Chișinău. A voter declared that he was compensated 100 lei for having voted for a particular candidate.
• PS 7 Dubăsari. Within the perimeter of the polling station, two people–presumably representatives of an electoral candidate—conversed with voters for about three hours; there were rumors about the buying of votes.
• PS 10 Chișinău. A woman offered monetary compensation on behalf of a candidate more than 100 meters from the PS. After having taken money, voters signed a list.

Electoral campaigning or black PR within the perimeter and/ or on the premises of polling stations with the purpose of influencing voters—8 cases.

• PS 38, 42 Leova. Voters showed who they had voted for and campaigned for a candidate.
• PS 20 Șoldănești. Three people were close to a polling station. One of them was a member of a political party, and the other two were voters. The member of the political party told voters who to vote for.
• PS 38 Orhei. A candidate’s observer was wearing a sign on his chest. The PSEB president objected, and he took the sign off his chest.
• PS 7 Ungheni. At the door of the PS a voter hung a ribbon with the distinct color of an electoral candidate. The PSEB candidate called a police officer to take the ribbon down.
• PS 278 Chișinău. The mayor, after having voted, told people as he left the PS not to promote „homosexual pride”.
• PS 4 Briceni. Two people displayed the symbols of a political party outside the polling station.
• PS 7 Cimișlia. A PSEB member, after having taken the ballot of a voter, said who the voter had voted for.

The organized transport of voters was reported in 32 PS.

• PS 24 Ștefan Vodă. The organized transport of voters by about 30 minibuses; they were presumably brought by representatives of an electoral candidate. During the course of the day about 1000 citizens—who were presumably from the Transnistrian region—were brought to vote
• PS 53 ATUG. The organized transport of voters in two minibuses.
• PS 50 ATUG. Observers stated that, between 3:00 pm and 3:40 pm, four vehicles brought voters
• PS 58 Florești. Three minibuses brought voters back and forth across the Nistru.
• PS 42 Rezina. A bus with license plates from the Transnistrian region transported 50 voters. A total of about 100 vehicles (including multiple trips) were reported at PS 42 Rezina during the hours of observation, each of which brought more than 7-8 people.
• UATSN – Three minibuses and four buses transported voters in an organized fashion.
• In Varnița three cars with license plates from the Transnistrian region circulated.
• PS 32 Căușeni. A car transported voters.
• PS 22 Căușeni. An entrepreneur organized a few voters with a minibus (2 times). In addition, a minibus transported voters and representatives of a certain electoral candidate (about 20 people).
• PS 26 Căușeni, an automobile identical to that at PS 32 transported voters.
• PS 271 Chișinău. A supporter of a certain political party brought people in his own car.
• PS 41 Anenii Noi. A minibus transported 10 people to the PS. About 25 voters were transported with a minibus in an organized way from PS 41 to PS 24 Amenii Noi.
• PS 19 Anenii Noi. About 4-6 people were brought to vote.
• PS 3 Dubăsari. Voters were transported with buses and 3 minibuses by supporters of a political party, and about 13-15 people were also transported in a car.
• PS 5 Dubăsari. A minibus with license plates from the Transnistrian region brought about 15 people.
• PS 42 Rezina. Minibuses regularly brought voters from the Transnistrian region – 8 vehicles with 15-20 people in each
• PS 14 Soroca. Ninety-three people were brought to the PS from the psycho-neurologic hospital in Bădiceni. The vice-president of the PSEB helped them to vote, indicating with his finger where to apply the „Voted” stamp on the ballot.
• PS 52 ATUG. Transport for 10 voters was organized in two trips with an automobile.
• PS 29 Briceni. While travelling with a mobile ballot box, members of PSEB entrusted the mobile ballot box to an electoral candidate’s observers. The observer was alone with the ballot box for several minutes.
• PS 41 Anenii Noi. Twenty-four minibuses were observed in the organized transport of voters; about 15 people were in each.
• From PS 41 Anenii Noi. A minibus transported about 25 voters to PS 24 Anenii Noi two times.
• PS 24 Anenii Noi. 2 minibuses brought about 20 people.
• PS 42 Anenii Noi. Organized transport with minibuses, about 12 people were taken from Slobozia.
• PS 26 Căușeni. 6 automobiles brought about 30 people.
• PS 32 Căușeni. A minibus from Gâsca transported about 10-15 people.
• PS 10 Dubăsari. A bus transported 50 people to the polling station.
• PS 33 Ocnița. A bus brought many voters during the course of the day.
• PS 5 Edineț. 12 people were brought in an organized fashion in a minibus to the PS, they entered and left together from the PS.
• PS 53 ATUG. An automobile made two trips to the PS to transport voters.
• PS 42 ATUG. A minibus transported voters two times. In the first case it brought 4 people and in the second case ten people.
• PS 320, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
• PS 391 Iași, Romania.
• PS 394 Brașov, Romania.

Acts of violence or intimidation towards voters or other people – 6 cases. Some examples follow:

• PS 38 Bălți. A woman became indignant because the secretary of the PSEB spoke to her in Russian and demanded that he speak to her in Romanian. Although the secretary tried to help the voter, she raised her voice and caused a disturbance in the polling station. The police were called. Finally, the woman helped her father vote and left.
• PS 200 Chișinău. Representatives of a certain candidate intimidated the president of the PSEB so that he would allow a student to vote.
• PS 138 Chișinău. A voter provoked a conflict because he was not permitted to access the information of another voter in the main list.
• PS 18 Bălți. A voter insulted an operator of SAIS Elections. A woman came with a damaged ballot, got angry at the operator and used obscenity. Eventually the police were called.

Problems with SAIS Elections (the suspension of functions; situations in which SAIS Elections indicates that a voter has voted but the voter maintains that he/ she has not voted) – 22 cases. Some examples follow:

• PS 390 Bucharest, Romania. Problems with SAIS Elections—the system stopped working for 10 minutes (1:25-1:33 pm), during which time 20 people voted without being verified by the system. Their personal identification numbers were written on A4 sheets and were later used to verify the voters once the system was back in service. The system did not show that any of the voters had voted before.
• PS 16 Bălți. There was a lack of internet between 2:20 and 2:50 pm. PSEB members tried to using personal modems without results. As a result, lines formed.
• PS 5 Călărași. There was no electricity from 9:40 until now (1:30 pm). The problem remains unresolved; 137 people were registered on paper lists.
• PS 350 Paris, France. A voter was not able to exercise his right to vote because SAIS Elections showed that the voter had already voted in France, even though he did not have a stamp in his passport. He was not allowed to vote again, and he left without voting.
• PS 394 Brașov. A voter was not found in SAIS Elections.
• PS 42 Rezina. The PSEB president asked the ECC to send a third operator. The president of the ECC appealed to the CEC and was refused. The Promo-LEX observer still observed three operators working at the PS. The PSEB president said that he had obtained the permission of the ECC. Finally it was established that the CEC had allowed the ECC to send one more operator and commission member to help the PSEB.
• PS 24 Criuleni. Because of a lack of electricity, SAIS Elections did not work for 30 minutes.
• PS 29 ATUG. For about two hours (between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm) there was no electricity. Business was not interrupted. Candles and cell phones were used.
• PS 47 Florești. The operators of SAIS Elections left the polling station for 15 minutes.
• PS 200 Chișinău. A student came at 5:00 pm to vote, but SAIS Elections showed that he had already voted in Ocnița at 4:00 pm.
• PS 349, Villeneuve-Saint-George, France. At 4:40 pm a voter was not able to vote, because the system showed that she had already voted in Anenii Noi.
• PS 47, Calărași. While being checked by SAIS Elections, it was discovered that a voter had already voted at a PS in Chișinău, although he maintained that he had not voted. No „Voted” stamp was on his identity card; PSEB members are trying to determine the problem with the system.

The presence of publicity materials, advertisements and electoral billboards within the perimeter of polling stations (within 100 meters of the polling station) – 1 case at PS 152 Chișinău.

Ballot boxes were not sealed according to the legal procedures. Tearing/ damage or absence of seals on ballot boxes – 12 cases, for example at PS 391 Iași, Romania.

Problems with the electoral lists (discrepancies in addresses; deceased voters; signatures under the names of other people) – 11 cases

• PS 114, 180, 200 Chișinău. In each polling station one voter identified dead relatives in the electoral lists.
• PS 222 Chișinău. A voter found unknown people registered under his home address.
• PS 59 Sângerei. A voter was not registered on the main lists.
• PS 21 Bălți. A deceased person was included on the main electoral lists. A man asked the president of the PSEB why his wife, who was deceased, was still included on the list. The PSEB suggested speaking to the city hall, because the PSEB does not make the lists.
• PS 44 Bălți. A voter came to vote, but he was not registered in the electoral lists (although his wife was) – he was registered at another address and another polling station. The man refused to go to the other polling station. The PSEB made a copy of his identification card, wrote his name on the supplementary lists, and allowed him to vote.
• PS 20 Chișinău. Strangers were registered under the addresses of four voters.
• PS 135 Chișinău. Strangers were registered under the addresses of four voters.
• PS 23 Bălți. A voter found that that another person had signed in his place at approximately 5:00 pm. He signed on the line above. The PSEB discussed among themselves and allowed him to sign above. No written complaint was submitted.
• PS 5 Rezina. PSEB members went with the mobile ballot box to a nursing home without having received requests from voters. The voters were not included on the supplementary lists. The director of the nursing home simply made a list of people on Election Day at 5:32 pm.

The photographing of ballots – 43 cases in: PS 50 Bălți; PS 52 Florești; PS 27 Briceni; PS 7 Ialoveni; PS 38 Nisporeni; PS 3, PS 6 Orhei; PS 25, 33, 94, 103, 105, 143, 147, 180, 182, 230, 232, 248, 257, 263, 267, 309, 131, 299, 12, 13, 20, 105, 142, 155, 120, 126, 135, 143, 180, 203, 210, 248 Chișinău; PS 2 Ungheni; PS 2 Bălți; PS 350 Montreuill, France; PS 394 Brașov, Romania.

Problems with the electricity – 11 cases. Some examples follow: PS 75 Ungheni; PS 30 Cimișlia; PS 26 Criuleni; PS 43 Ungheni; PS 29 Sângerei; PS 40, 45 Cimișlia; PS 10, 48, 49 Fălești; PS 59 Soroca.

Problematic situations relating to voting with identity documents – 5 cases.

• PS 221 Chișinău. A voter voted without having the stamp applied to the additional page of his identity document.
• PS 31 Briceni. In the majority of cases the stamp „Elections 13.11.2016 Round II” was not applied to identity documents. The PSEB president argued that he could not require voters to put the stamp on their identification cards. The voters explained that they did not want to have the stamp because they wanted cross the border between the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
• PS 124 Chișinău. A voter residing in Leova was allowed to vote based on his own testimony.
• PS 31 Briceni. A voter voted without having the stamp „Elections 13.11.2016” applied to the additional page of his identity document. The voter refused the application of the stamp.
• PS 41 Cahul. A voter cast his ballot without the additional page of his identity document.

Ballots have run out at the following polling stations:

• PS 336 Stratford, Great Britain. The ballots ran out in the PS at 3:15 pm. Citizens signed a petition.
• PS 41 Varnița. At 6:40 pm there were no more ballots.
• There are a tense situations regarding the number of ballots at PS 355 Bologna, Italy, PS 335 Great Britain (voters want to sign petitions, complaints)
• PS 359 Mestre, Italy. Voters were encouraged to go vote at the PS in Treviso, Italy.
• PS 389 Bucharest, Romania. There are no more ballots.

Other violations recorded by observers:

• PS 10 Cimișlia. The room in which the PS is located is large, not heated, and very poorly illuminated.
• PS 33 Leova. There is a growing number of applicants to vote in the place of residence (from 44 in the first round to 57 in the second round)
• PS 1 Cimișlia. A voter asked if it was possible to vote outside the PS; he did not present his identification or other evidence that was a person with special needs. The PSEB president brought the electoral lists, a ballot, and the stamp „Elections 13.11.2016” to the voter’s car.
• PS 25 Chișinău. A voter found that, on the main lists, there was a signature from the first round next to the name of a cousin who was living in Germany. The man submitted a complaint.
• PS 278 Chișinău. On November 12, 2016, 15 people changed their residence to this precinct.

The Promo-LEX Observation Mission consists of 42 long-term observers who monitor the electoral process in all constituencies of the Republic of Moldova during 31 August – 30 November 2016. On Election Day, Promo-LEX sent a short-term observer to each polling station in the country, involving a total of 1981 observers. The Mission monitors the electoral process in 36 polling stations open abroad. The observers involved in the monitoring process signed the Code of Conduct of the Promo-LEX Independent National Observer, committing to act promptly, in good faith and in a non-partisan manner. The Promo-LEX EOM will also perform a Parallel Vote Tabulation in all polling stations. The activity of all observers is coordinated by a central team consisting of 37 persons.

The activity carried out by Promo-LEX EOM and the “Come to Vote” campaign is currently funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the British Embassy in Chisinau, the National Endowment for Democracy and the Council of Europe. The opinions presented in the public reports of Promo-LEX belong to the authors and do not necessarily reflect the donors’ view.

For more details, contact: Tatiana Pascovschi, Communication Officer of Promo-Lex Election Observation Mission: GSM 060804022, e-mail: [email protected]