More than 66% of voters participated in the election process in Zhytomyr oblast. In general, the voting was held without major violations, which could have result in falsification of the election results.
During the election day, observers reported procedural violations in election commissions, violation of campaigning rules, manipulations with ballots, technologies of electoral falsifications, unlawful intervention in the electoral process, and damage of the property and campaigning materials.
Most of violations were noticed in precincts in district #63 in Zhytomyr. The typical violations are: hindering observers' activities, early opening of the safe, absence of the excerpt from the voter list, availability of larger number of ballots than provided by the protocol of the DEC, attempts to vote without passport, attempts to take ballots out of polls, campaigning on the election day, attempts to vote with the foreign passport.
In district #64, OPORA's observer reported that members of PEC were rewriting the protocol. They corrected the time of filling in the protocol, and absent records next to names of candidates, who didn't receive any vote. The mistakes were made, first of all, due to inattention of members of PECs. Besides that, members of the PEC brought the seal to the DEC, what is also the violation.
In district #65, unknown persons have damaged the plackards with information about candidates Yulia Tymoshenko and Mykhailo Dobkin at some polling stations. Some members of the PEC were a bit tipsy.
In district #67, some voters tried to vote without a passport, but after a remark form OPORA's observer, they were sent to go home and take the document. In Malyn, billboards were placed depicting Tymoshenko-styled campaign materials without an imprint. In Korostyshiv, the Head of PEC was rather tipsy. The expertise showed 2.1 % ppm of alcohol, but the DEC affirmed that the alcohol wasn't detected in his blood. After the expertise, the Head stayed at the polling station.
In district #68, the light disappeared for 10 minutes, and one voter voted outside of the booth. The DEC didn't provide the PECs with enough package for ballot papers. While 792 voters are registered in the polling station, the DEC gave four packages for counted ballots and control coupons.
However, despite the reported violations, the voting was held without mass violations, which could have influence on the election results.
Civic monitoring conducted by OPORA - is a type of network activity, aimed at impartial assessment of the preparation and conduct of elections, as well as preventing electoral violations through comprehensive civic action.
Since March, OPORA conducts a wide observation campaign during snap Presidential election, interim Parliamentary elections (district #83), and special local elections. The organization cooperates with 175 long-term observers, who are watching the course of election campaign in all Ukrainian regions. On the Election Day on May 25, 3,000 activists will join them to conduct the parallel vote tabulation, based on statistical sample.