19 Mar 2018 15:00

Voting results in March 18 election annulled at 2 polling stations in Kemerovo region - Russian CEC chair

MOSCOW. March 19 (Interfax) - The voting results in Russia's March 18 presidential election have been annulled at two polling stations in the Kemerovo region, Russian Central Elections Commission (CEC) Chair Ella Pamfilova said.

"Information has been received during my speech that the voting results have been cancelled at two polling stations in the Kemerovo region," Pamfilova said at a CEC meeting on Monday.

Pamfilova said earlier that the voting results had been annulled at five polling stations in three Russian regions.

The CEC also has received tentative information that the voting results were cancelled at a polling station in Russia's southern Krasnodar Territory, but the CEC has so far been unable to contact representatives of the local election commission in order to verify the report, she said.

Kemerovo election commission chairman Yury Yemelyanov, for his part, said that the voting results had been annulled at Polling Station No. 509 in the Mezhdurechensk municipality.

"The territorial election commission uncovered instances of ballot stuffing while watching a video broadcast. The chairman and the secretary immediately headed to the site. The ballot boxes were sealed. The Interior Ministry in the town of Mezhdurechensk was alerted about the incident. When it was proven, the territorial election commission made a decision to halt voting at this polling station," Yemelyanov said.

Ballot stuffing at Polling Station No. 766 in the Kuibyshevsky district of Novokuznetsk was caught on video as well, he said.

"Law enforcement agencies are currently investigating it. The territorial election commission made a decision to stop voting at this polling station," he said.