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Vote counting suspects at polling station in Moscow - city election commission

The Moscow City Election Comission said that video surveillance cameras as district polling station No2783 recorded actions resembling ballot box stuffing

MOSCOW, July 2. /TASS/. Vote counting after the nationwide voting on constitutional amendments has been suspended at one of Moscow’s polling stations due to suspected ballot box stuffing, the Moscow City Election Comission said on Thursday.

"Video surveillance cameras as district polling station No2783 recorded actions resembling ballot box stuffing. Representatives of the Moscow City Elections Commission have been seconded to the site. Vote counting has been suspended," it said on its Telegram channel, adding that if the reports are proved all ballots in this box would be recognized as invalid.

The nationwide voting on constitutional amendments ended in Russia at 21:00 Moscow time. Voting started in Russia on June 25. The official voting day under the presidential decree was July 1 but due to the coronavirus situation the voting period was extended for a week, from June 25 through July 1. Vote counting began in regions after 20:00 local time on July 1, when polling stations closed. Along with the extended voting period (from June 25 to July 1), people could cast their votes outside polling stations at specially organized voting areas, including outdoors, or use contactless voting at home or the Mobile Voter application. Additionally, residents of Moscow and the Nizhny Novgorod region could vote online.

The amendments will come into force if supported by more than a half of those taking part. There is no minimum voter turnout.

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