Early voting in Belarus: press review
"Dear Colleagues! Today (September 25), everyone has to vote early. The polling stations have demanded the lists of the teachers who have not voted yet”, read the announcement in the teachers’ office of Gymnasium No 1 in Slutsk, writes the web-based newspaper Salidarnasc.
Internet forums are full of stories that students are forced to take part in the elections. Apparently, such measures are successful. The elections have already taken place at the 528th polling station in the Kolas Constituency No 106 in Minsk, Siarhei Kalyakin, the leader of the Party of Communists told Belapan.
“According to Siarhei Kalyakin, the polling station is located in the dormitory of the Belarusian National Technical University and the majority of voters are students. Maryna Malashkevich, a local election commission official, said that more than a half of voters cast their ballots at the 528th polling station”, Belapan reported.
The pro-democracy forces in Belarus are confident that the authorities use the early voting procedure to rig the election results.
“This statement was announced at the meeting of the Political Council of the United Pro-Democracy Forces (UDF). The opposition is drafting a special statement in connection with the widespread use of administrative resources by the authorities to ensure a necessary voters’ turn-out during early voting”, tut.by news portal reported.
The pro-democracy forces described the early voting as “a disgraceful fact”. The official press called it “an election standard”.
“The practice of the early voting was not invented in Belarus. It has become a standard in many countries. For instance, up to 80 percent of voters in Sweden are known to vote early in certain constituencies… It is interesting that when evaluating the previous elections in the United States, OSCE observers advised to widen the practice of early voting”, Sovietskaya Belorussia quoted Central Elections Commission’s secretary Mikalai Lazavik saying.
But Sovietskaya Belorussia failed to note that students in Sweden are hardly forced to vote early under the threat of being evicted from dormitories.
The article titled “My Vote Decides a Lot!” in the government-owned Respublika focused on the progressive nature of the early voting procedure. The journalist tried to convince readers that they should vote early.
“These electoral standards are accepted in the whole world. In Europe, elections begin two weeks before the polls day. In some US states, elections begin several months before. Sweden’s experience is spectacular. Up to 80 percent of voters cast their ballots ahead of the election day. In our country, these standards are settling well”.
For those who still have doubts that their voice counts, Respublika quoted Lidziya Mikhalachkina, a veteran voter. The pensioner is confident that her vote could become decisive.
“I am a very active and responsible voter. In my life, I have not skipped any single election. Knowing that I will spend the weekend, digging in the garden in the Dzyarzhynsk district, I came to vote early… I get annoyed by the people who say that one vote can’t decide anything. It definitely can! When Ivan has 10 votes, while Piotr has 9, the former will win…”
