OPORA conducted statistically based citizen observation in early election of city mayor in Kryvyi Rih. The voter turnout was quite high on the election day. Transportation of voters to polling stations was the biggest hazard for the election process. According to the tabulation protocols from polling stations to which OPORA's activists were deployed, Yurii Vilkul has won mayoral election in Kryvyi Rih in the first round.
Citizens of Kryvyi Rih had 15 candidates representing various political parties to choose from, and demonstrated a strong interest to participation in the election process. According to the data gathered by OPORA, which conducted parallel turnout tabulation as a part of observation campaign, voter turnout has increased in over 16% compared to the repeated voting held on 15 November 2015 (55.4% and 39.2% respectively). Such increase in the voter turnout is not only due to the public resonance around political and legal compromise resulting in scheduling of the election, but also because of highly active campaigning efforts of candidates.
Civil Network OPORA informs that 27 March 2016 early mayoral election in Kryvyi Rih and vote count at polling stations were organized and held properly. “Violations that official observers detected at election commission level were not systematical, and had no influence of legitimacy of the election and vote count processes at polling stations,” – stated OPORA's analyst Oleksandr Neberykut. OPORA conducted observation based on statistical representation sampling in early election of Kryvyi Rih city mayor. Observers watched adherence to all electoral procedures at preparatory meetings of PECs, opening of polling stations, voting process, vote count and receiving of electoral documents from precinct election commissions on TEC meeting.
According to Kryvyi Rih Civic Observation Coordinator Andrii Tokarskyi, all the precinct election commissions in the city conducted preparatory meetings, gathered quorum, and were opened on time. There were no incidents related to disappearance of PEC seals and damage or disappearance of electoral documents from safes. The voting process was calm, and observers of the Civil Network OPORA haven't noticed any systematic misuses or gross procedural violations of electoral legislation.
However, organized transportation of voters to polling stations (over 14 incidents) was detected on the election day. “Organized transportation of voters to polling stations have signs of artificial mobilization of the voters and could influence the general percentage of voter turnout. Such organized transportation of voters brings the risks of misuses by organizers, particularly illegal ‑campaigning and/or voter bribery. “Transportation of voters in Kryvyi Rih was organized by a local association of veterans, which doesn't have any authority in the election process, including assistance in practical realization of voting rights,” – said Oleksandr Kliuzhev, OPORA's analyst. It's important, however, that this association is headed by a person who participated in campaigning efforts of current Mayor and self-nominated candidate Yurii Vilkul. This situation should be studied by law enforcement bodies to check whether there is any illegal campaigning, voter bribery or other violations present. However, law enforcement bodies made not enough effort in response to transportation of voters and determination of all circumstances.
Observers have also noticed that a voter received some money after voting (at PEC #121627, located in School #59, Inhuletskyi district). OPORA's observers detected at polling station #121524 pre-signed precinct tabulation protocols. Besides that, minor violations of electoral procedures and minor mistakes made by election commission members did regularly occur at polling stations. Such incidents were detected at 22.5% election precincts in the morning (as of 12:00 PM) and at 12.5% election precincts in the last hours (from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM). For example, the following incidents occurred: no stamp on a control sheet; different number of ballot papers in the excerpt and those handed for voting at place of stay; pens with disappearing ink etc. The total number of minor violations has increased compared to 15 Novermber 2015 second round of mayoral election in Kryvyi Rih. However, there were less attempts to take picture of ballot papers or violate the voting secrecy in comparison to the second round. Thus, voters took pictures of ballot papers at 2.5% of polling stations from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, and there were no such incidents in evening hours (compared to 3.8% in the second round). Violation of the voting secrecy was detected from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM only at of 1.5% polling stations. Thus, there were no incidents involving issuance of ballots without passport verification, ballot-box stuffing, obstruction to activities of observers or journalists, direct voter bribery.
Civil Network OPORA conducted statistically based observation based on sampling within a one single-mandate district in early election of Kryvyi Rih city mayor. “After processing of protocols from polling stations, where Civil Network OPORA deployed specially trained observers, tabulation results are verified and ready for promulgation,”‑ stated Olha Aivazovska, Electoral and Parliamentary Programs Coordinator at Civil Network OPORA. According to the results of parallel vote tabulation conducted by OPORA, Yurii Vilkul received the highest number of voters ‑ (74.1%). It became possible thanks to active citizen oversight if the voting process and vote count. The margin of error is 1.1%.