Become an OC Media MemberSupport independent journalism in the Caucasus:
Join Today
Media logo
electoral fraud

electoral fraud

7 Posts
0 Followers
Municipal elections in Georgia. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.
2021 Georgian Local Elections

Datablog | Do people think voter secrecy is respected in Georgia

T

International and local election observers often note violations of the secrecy of the ballot in Georgia, and the 2021 local elections were no exception.  According to a recent study, a plurality of people think such violations could take place in Georgia, and some have heard of such cases in the past year. On the survey on election-related attitudes carried out by CRRC Georgia for ISFED,  respondents were asked about a hypothetical country where a citizen’s vote was somehow revealed to a neig

Municipal elections in Georgia. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.
2021 Georgian Local Elections

Datablog | Who reported seeing dzveli bitchebi engaged in the elections?

D

Opposition parties and some observers reported the engagement of dzveli bitchi, a term roughly equivalent to wise guys or hoods in English, in election-related activities prior to the October 2021 local elections. Data from an ISFED and CRRC Georgia survey suggests that a substantial share of the public also reported seeing the same. While the survey on the pre-electoral environment saw a large share reporting seeing dzveli bitchebi near election precincts in the year prior to the elections, r

Municipal elections in Georgia. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.
Analysis

Datablog | How widespread is vote-buying perceived to be in Georgia?

G

In their preliminary findings on the 2 October local election in Georgia, the OSCE-led observation mission cited ‘widespread and consistent allegations of vote-buying’ as having marred the vote. Survey data from earlier in the summer sheds further light on the problem, suggesting that 16% of people know someone who has been offered a bribe for their vote. In recent years, there have been increasing concerns over the conduct of elections in Georgia. Such concerns are well documented in internat

A polling station in Sukhumi. Photo: Marianna Kotova/OC Media.
Abkhazia

Bribes offered to Abkhazian voters in Russia Duma elections

M

Voters in Abkhazia taking part in Russia’s State Duma elections were offered money in exchange for their votes, OC Media can reveal. OC Media spoke with a number of local residents who said they were offered ₽1,000 ($14) in exchange for their votes. A large proportion of residents of Abkhazia hold Russian citizenship, making them eligible to vote in Russian elections.  Under Russia’s electoral system, half of MPs are elected under a proportional system while the other half are elected to s

Jale Bayramova.
2020 Azerbaijani Parliamentary Election

Observer attacked during Azerbaijani election threatened with criminal charges

O

An observer recorded on camera being attacked during Azerbaijan’s February parliamentary elections has been threatened with criminal charges for filming the woman who attacked her. Jale Bayramova, an observer from the campaign of independent candidate Khalid Baghirov, was attacked on 9 February, election day, at a polling station in the village of Shuruk in Lankaran southern Azerbaijan.  The video of the attack was shared widely on social media.  Bayramova has said that the attack was o

Opinion | After disappointing elections a new way forward for Azerbaijan’s opposition? 
2020 Azerbaijani Parliamentary Election

Opinion | After disappointing elections a new way forward for Azerbaijan’s opposition? 

B

After disappointing elections, Azerbaijan’s opposition must reckon with the failure of an ‘elections only’ strategy. Lessons learned during the electoral campaign will be crucial.  Snap parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan are over. According to the OSCE Observation Mission, the elections ‘lacked genuine competition and choice’. Azerbaijani social media is overflowing with discussion over numerous videos that show blatant electoral fraud. In light of such blatant vote-rigging, two questions

Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.
2018 Georgian Presidential Elections

Georgian Government ‘printing fake ID cards’ for election fraud

O

Georgia’s Public Service Development Agency is printing fake ID documents in order to swing the country’s upcoming presidential election in favour Salome Zurabishvili, who has been endorsed by the ruling Georgian Dream Party, three leading transparency watchdogs have claimed. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), Transparency International — Georgia, and the International Society for Fair Elections And Democracy (ISFED) called a press conference on Tuesday, where they said they ha

Editor‘s Picks