A member of the election commission in Udmurtia attempted to contaminate a ballot processing facility by pouring bright green liquid into it. This incident was reported by RIA News, citing the regional election commission for details.
It occurred in the evening at the 2/21 district precinct in the Leninsky district of Izhevsk.
According to the commission, Nadezhda Pinegina, a voting member nominated by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, tried to flood the ballot processing complex with the bright green liquid.
The commission said that intervention happened in time and the integrity of the ballot papers was preserved. A police officer on duty took prompt action, and the regional commission was able to conduct voting as planned.
Earlier, Nikolai Bulaev, Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission, described adding green liquid to ballots as having a “negative” impact on the election result. He noted that there are at least five ballot boxes in the country that could be compromised under water with bright green liquid. Similar episodes were reported in Rostov, Karachay-Cherkessia, Voronezh, and Moscow regions.
Presidential voting began in Russia on March 15 and is scheduled to run through March 17. This summary reflects initial developments as the first day of voting unfolded. [Source: regional election authorities]
Earlier, the City Election Commission discussed potential consequences and procedures for dealing with any spoiled ballots in Moscow. [Source: city election officials]