Basic problems before the voting day - results from long-term monitoring

The Committee of Voters of Ukraine (CVU) presented results of its long-term monitoring during a press conference two days before the local elections.

CVU Chairman Oleksiy Koshel noted that the number of candidates is almost the same as the number of candidates in 2015, but there are many more parties. This is due to the fact that in Ukraine there are regional parties that nominate candidates only in a certain region or in a particular city.

One of the main problems of the campaign was the use of shadow funds and the use of violence and black PR against candidates. The most common violation was non-compliance with requirements of the Electoral Code regarding the placement of election campaign material, and in one third of the regions there were instances recorded of bribing voters.

One of the key differences identified by CVU in this election in comparison to elections in 2015 include the active use of electoral tourism, which began as a result of changes in legislation that allowed citizens to change their electoral address. As a result, election results in some communities may be falsified. More details on this in CVU’s previous briefing.

No less important is the use of violence and the destruction of competitors' campaign material. For example, in the Kharkiv region, the car of a European Solidarity candidate was set on fire - this is the 11th case of violence against candidates during the election campaign.

CVU also raises concern over the handling of the pandemic and its effect on the conduct of elections.

Natalia Linnyk gave some important advice to voters. First, she stressed the importance of coming to the polls and making your choice. Voters should not allow "blind" voting, ie it is necessary to know all the information about the candidates and make their choice consciously. It is better to choose a candidate in advance to spend less time at the polling station and expose yourself less to danger.