The start of these snap elections is definitely passive, campaigning on local level is almost absent. It's due to the most difficult conditions of presidential election campaign for the whole history of independent Ukraine. If political conflicts and realization of "Crimean scenario" in unstable eastern regions continues, particularly till the election day, it will hazard the election process, vote count, and other procedures provided by the law. If active hostilities begin, and the state of emergency or the state of martial law is introduced in Ukraine, the special elections will be canceled.
In view of complex social and political situation and possible aggression from Russia, the candidates don't conduct active campaigning, afraid of being misunderstood. OPORA observers denote that the outdoor advertising resources (billboards, city-lights etc.) are almost not used for campaigning purposes as of early April 2014. As for campaigning activities, they are: visits of candidates to regions where they're widely supported (O. Liashko to Chernihiv oblast, P. Poroshenko to Vinnytsia oblast); presentation of electoral programs to journalists and students in Kyiv (Yu. Tymoshenko, P. Poroshenko, M. Malomuzh; visits, caused by social and political needs (Yu. Tymoshenko and D. Yarosh visiting Donetsk oblast, O. Liashko visiting Luhansk oblast), and some others (for example O. Bohomolets visiting Kherson). Only O. Liashko has actively started direct campaigning. His team organizes public actions, and outdoor advertising of the candidate (slogan "Death to occupants") was probably the first that appeared on Ukrainian streets. O. Tiahnybok also quite actively visits the voters in regions, particularly during meetings of the AUU Svoboda. Simultaneously, the dirty campaigning occurs, with calls to violence, extremism, or election boycott. In particular, a representative of the Right Sector Roman Koval has stated on the Sunday's Viche (public meeting) that only Ukrainians by blood. During the Viche in the city of Bila Tserkva, organized by the local party organization of AUU Svoboda, representatives of the Radical Party of Oleh Liashko have organized a performance with the "coffin of the Party of Regions". In Chernivtsi, leaflets (without an imprint) were disseminated, with pictures of A. Yatseniuk and O. Turchynov, with the text: "How to blow the country in a month. Tutorial for beginners." The situation in south-eastern oblasts of Ukraine is quite hazardous, where pro-Russian organizations publicly call to disrupt the elections and break the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
All the election headquarters of candidates are not fully functioning, they are often without chairmen, urgently hire the staff, rent offices, distribute powers, search for the resources etc. In general, Petro Poroshenko, Yuliia Tymoshenko, Oleh Tiahnybok, Dmytro Yarosh, Anatolii Hrytsenko, Vasyl Kuibida, Oleh Liashko and Olha Bohomolets are the most active in this field.
On the eve of special elections in Ukraine, officials of OSAs and RSAs are radically substituted, and representatives of the ex-opposition, particularly AUU Batkivshchyna, receive the majority of positions. Despite the nationwide personnel rotations process, regional representatives of the OPORA haven't reported any incident of new local government officials using powers to campaign in favor of any presidential candidates.
The situation with the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and city of Sevastopol, occupied by Russian troops, is quite worrying in the context of presidential campaign, as long as these territories legally belong to Ukraine. Military occupation hinders free and unimpeded voting of Ukrainian citizens, and creates an outstanding precedent in the organization of the election process. On April 13, the CEC has announced that it's impossible to create district election commissions for the Presidential election on territorial election districts in Crimea.
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.