Preparatory meetings and beginning of the voting process in Krasnoarmiisk and Mariupol have started without disruptions

According to the information provided by official observers of Civil Network OPORA and Donetsk Oblast Office of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine, which are jointly holding organization campaign in Mariupol and Krasnoarmiisk, the voting process in these two cities of Donetsk has started without major violations.

Preparatory meetings started earlier than the time established by the Law of Ukraine on Local Elections (at 7:15 am) at 16% of polling stations in Mariupol and 8% of polling stations in Krasnoarmiisk.

The number of such violations has decreased compared to PECs throughout Ukraine and Eastern regions in particular on 25 October 2015, and the second round on 15 November. For example, OPORA had determined with the help of nationwide sample that over 17% polling stations in Ukraine started preparatory meetings earlier than 7:15 am on 25 October. This percentage in eastern regions reached 18.6%. In the second round of mayoral election on 15 November, 12.5% of PECs started preparatory meetings earlier than the time established by the Law. In Mariupol, however, this percentage is equal to the nationwide percentage for 25 October and repeated voting on 15 November.

According to the monitoring results, all PECs in Mariupol and Krasnoarmiisk, covered by a qualitative observation, have had the quorum on their preparatory meetings (100% polling stations).

At 5.6% polling stations in Krasnoarmiisk and 1.9% in Mariupol, precinct election commissions didn't keep the minutes of their preparatory meetings. In Mariupol, the percentage of PECs which didn't keep the minutes of their preparatory meetings was significantly lower if compared to nationwide percentage and percentage in eastern regions on 25 October and nationwide percentage on 15 November.

There were some problems concerning unimpeded access of observers to polling stations at 1% of election precincts in Mariupol. There were no such incidents in Krasnoarmiisk.

All the polling stations in Krasnoarmiisk and Mariupol opened on time.

OPORA's observers and Donetsk Oblast Office of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine cover 100% of election precincts in Krasnoarmiisk and 50% in Mariupol chosen by a representative sampling.