Ballot Rigging, Bribery, Beatings and Elimination

Henry Jackson Society

As the 2018 Russian Presidential elections approach, the Putin regime may resort to time-honored techniques for dealing with unwelcome candidates, observers and members of electoral commissions.

There were numerous reports of massive irregularities in the preliminary voting (“primaries”) to select candidates of the United Russia party for the State Duma elections which were held on 22 May, 2016. Analysts independent of the authorities report a significant evolution and expansion over the past decade of techniques of electoral fraud at all levels in Russia. There is effectively no democratic choice.

Yevgeny, a lead engineer at a flight research institute, decided that, in between testing new avionics equipment intended finally to get Russia up off her knees, he would fulfil his civic duty by acting as an election observer in his home town. He was no ordinary observer: he read the electoral legislation, considered it beneath his dignity to make any demands and avoided conflict. He could also count rapidly and had an excellent memory. After weighing up his strengths and weaknesses, it was decided to send him to the polling station where the count was expected to be most problematical.

Read the full article: Ballot Rigging, Bribery, Beatings and Elimination

HJS



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