Local elections in Belarus (live)

20.36. The voting has finished in Belarus.

All the 6169 polling stations were closed at 8 p.m.

Election commissions are counting the votes now. The preliminary results will be ready on the night of March 24. The elected deputies will need to register by March 28, BELTA reports.

Over 4 900 000 citizens have voted today, the CEC reports. The turnout has exceeded 70%.

The parliamentary election has also been held successfully in Homel-Navabelitskaya constituency. As of 6 p.m., the turnout was almost 69%.

10.50. Observer deprived of accreditation for complaining

Valeryya Charnamortsava is an activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy and an observer of the campaign Right of Choice.

The observer saw a hostel warden come to her polling station on Friday and check the lists of those who had already voted. People living in the hostel came to vote half an hour later, bchd.info reports.

 Furthermore, Valeryya Charnamortsava photographed a ballot box on Friday. She was reprimanded for it and the commission members demanded that she deleted the photos. The observer was deprived of her accreditation on Sunday morning for ‘interfering into the work of the election commission and unauthorized photographing and filming’.

10.30. Lukashenka to vote in Belarusian State University of Physical Culture

As usual, Alyaksandr Lukashenka will vote on the Election Day. The state leader will vote in Belarusian State University of Physical Culture, BELTA reports.

Lukashenka is expected to answer journalists’ questions there.

9.28. 32% of Belarusians already voted at local elections

Almost 25% of Belarusians voted early in four days and 7% – yesterday. It means that 32% of voters or 2 million 200 thousand people voted early, BELTA reports referring to the CEC.

31.72% of people voted early in Brest Province on March 18-22, 30.44% – in Vitsebsk Province, 33.81% – in Homel Province, 31.12% – in Hrodna Province, 31.64% – in Minsk Province, 31.69% – in Mahilyou Province and 31.97% – in Minsk.

The turnout in Homel-Navabelistkaya constituency #36 was 24.46%.

 "This is very good. Voters are responsible and active,” CEC sectary Mikalai Lazavik noted.

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March 23 is the Election Day in Belarus. The early vote started on March 18 and finished yesterday. As of Saturday morning, 25% of Belarusians have already voted.

An MP is also being elected in Homel today. As of yesterday morning, 18% of people have already voted in Homel-Navabelitskaya constituency #36.

Polling stations will be open until 8 p.m.

Observers have already registered violations. They noticed a discrepancy in the number of people who voted early – they counted a few dozen less people than indicated in the protocols.

Photo: bymedia.net