First, you get UAH 200 for the passport copy and the ID code, and on October, 25, you get UAH 1,000 for the photo of the tick in the ballot paper for the wanted candidate for the Kyiv city mayor. The scheme was arranged by an unidentified group of persons in Zhytomyr.
On July, 29, a public group in social media posted an ad: “Tomorrow, 30/07/20 , UAH 150/hour for all. Crowd backup. DM.” After some time, the post was changed to: “UAH 1,150 for two days! Anyone interested, call me” followed by the contact number.
To learn more details, we called the number. A man named Maksym explained that they were enrolling people to vote in Kyiv on October, 25.
“It is for the crowd at elections. We just need people. On October, 25, in Kyiv. Tomorrow, come and register, if you go to Kyiv. Tomorrow, you get UAH 150 in your pocket, and the following UAH 1,000 you get when in Kyiv. Free travel, catering provided, return trip. You may come on your own, if you wish. You will need to take a photo on your phone that you did vote for the person. I cannot give you the name yet, because we have not been informed yet. You come and register tomorrow, and get the UAH 150 in your pocket. And then, it’s up to you, whether you go or not. Get your passport and the ID code,” – said Maksym.
The appointment was scheduled for 08.30 a.m., on July, 30, in one of the residential neighborhoods in Zhytomyr, near a bank.
Shortly, after, the so called leaders arrived – they were a man and two ladies. They asked a group of pensioners how many they were, whether they had the passport copies. One of the leaders collected the passports from the pensioners and left to make the photocopies. Two more leaders joined soon, and brought along “their” people”.
“There are several of us, getting the groups together. The voting on October, 25, will be taking place in Kyiv, they will be electing the mayor. You are offered UAH 1,200 for your vote: UAH 200 now, for an application declaring you will come; and when you vote in a tent, and put a tick, the 1K is yours. You enter the tent, vote, put a tick, take a picture, show it, and you get the UAH 1,000. And then wait for the others, and we go back to Zhytomyr,” – tells one of the leaders.
Another leader mentioned that a trip to Kyiv will last the entire day, so you won’t be able to vote in Zhytomyr. He also added that we can get the UAH 200 in exchange for the passport copy and the ID code, and then you may decide whether you actually go to Kyiv or not.
Later, the leaders started bringing people with their ID copies, one by one, to a car parked nearby, to get the money. 
“It’s all good. But we do not understand why they gave us UAH 800,” a young man and a girl told their leader when they got out of the car.
Some 20 people came to the meeting.
Taras Chmut, OPORA’s observation coordinator in Zhytomyr region, believes: “The scheme might have been used to change the voting address, as they had to bring their passport and ID code copies.”
As of August, 28, according to the State Voter Register, 282 voters from Zhytomyr hromada have changed their voting addresses.
There is a similar scheme in Odesa region, too. According to OPORA, in Odesa region, police are investigating the circumstances of the mass change of voting addresses in three hromadas.
Part 3 of Article 118 of the electoral Code establishes that a ballot paper shall be filled by a voter personally, in a secret voting booth. When filling the ballot paper, no other persons are allowed inside, neither photo or video documentation in any manner is allowed.
According to part 1 of Article 160 of the Criminal Code, accepting an offer, a promise, or accepting an improper advantage by a voter, a referendum participant, for themselves or for third persons, for commiting or failure to commit any actions related with their direct exercise of their suffrage or voting rights (refusal to vote in elections, for voting at a polling station (a referendum station) more than once, for voting for a candidate at elections, or refusal to vote, for transferring a ballot paper (a referendum ballot) to another person), regardless of the actual expression of will and the voting results – shall be punished with a fine in the amount of one to three hundred tax-exempt minimum income of citizens or by correctional labour for up to two years, or by the same term imprisonment.
For comments, please, contact:
Taras Chmut, OPORA’s observation coordinator in Zhytomyr region
tel: +38 098-829-62-64
email: [email protected]
Reference: OPORA's observation is aimed to provide an unbiased assessment of election administration and process, facilitate free and fair election, and prevent violations. Civil Network OPORA has been realizing a wide-scale observation of regular local elections, to be held on October 25. We have deployed 188 observers nationwide, and short-term observers will join them on the Election Day. OPORA also monitors the use of budget resources for indirect campaigning, and civic ombudsmen inspect polling premises in terms of accessibility, as well as protect voting rights of citizens.
(#вибори; #opora; #опора)