Elections in Lviv Had a Successful Start. Eyewitness Report.

Based on the information, submitted by OPORA short-term observers, the voting process started on time in 70% out of 64 polling stations in Lviv oblast (i.e. a representative sample for the national observation), and the voting was delayed by only 10-15 min in the others. A special polling station # 138 in Chervonograd City (in the premises of psycho neurological department of the local hospital) opened its doors to voters at 9:00 am only, being the latest one in the region. Despite this delay with opening, all the registered voters have already voted, therefore we can declare that the polling station fixed the 100 % turnout.

Among minor violations, OPORA short-term observers witnessed incidents of non-placement or poor placement of posters containing information about Presidential candidates. For instance, in Lopushanka-Homyna village, Starosambirschyna, voters that came to the polling station # 192 had no opportunity to learn about the candidates, who were less active in campaigning on TV or radio channels, due to the absence of their posters in the station. In Voroniaky village in the polling station # 26 posters with information about candidates were simply scattered all over the table. In Novoyarivsky City in the polling station # 173 there was no posters about candidates during the first two hours of work of the station.

Over a few years elections in Ukraine keep facing the same situation with policemen who are engaged to guard the ballots and maintain order in polling stations. This time OPORA observers witnessed such problematic cases in Gorodotsky and Zhydachivsky regions, and in the latter the policeman was not replaced since Thursday, but law enforcement officers refuse to officially comment the problem. The temperature is very low across many polling stations, notably in the PS # 88 located in Yaktoriv village, Zolochivsky region.

In the polling station # 83 of the 120^th territorial constituency (Lviv City) there was one occasion when a citizen was included into the voter list on the Election Day by voting of the precinct election commission members that contradicts the law. The Central Election Commission creates such difficulties by passing the resolutions that contradict the legislation and thus mislead the precinct commission members.

In villages across Lviv oblast, the Election Day becomes an extra opportunity to meet and talk to fellow villagers, especially in the polling station itself which contradict the current legislation. In Berezhnytsia village, Sambirsky region, voters stay for talks in the polling station for other 15 minutes or more after they voted.

Overall, by 11:00 am the majority of voters, who have already exercised their right to elect, are middle-aged or elderly people.