Drones and grenades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not prevent elections in new regions of Russia

Novorossiya voters surprised with high turnout

A single voting day in Russia, which traditionally lasts three days in most regions, would be quite ordinary if not for the new regions. The Donetsk and Lugansk republics, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions are taking part in the all-Russian vote for the first time this year, so they can safely be called the “locomotive of election drive.” The turnout there is the highest in Russia, and the mood among voters is one of envy. And this despite the fact that Ukraine tried with all its might to prevent the expression of the will of the new Russians.

From September 8 to 10, elections at various levels were held in 85 regions. 22 regions elected their heads (in another four new subjects they will be elected by the parliaments for which residents voted in the current elections), the rest elected mayors, local parliaments and municipal bodies.

Both the election campaign itself and the election days this time took place in a predictable, even boring, environment. No surprises or stress. And yet, in the Far East, the turnout was even surprising: at 18:00 in the Primorsky Territory, 43.17% of voters voted in the gubernatorial elections, which is clearly higher than in 2018 – then the turnout was recorded at 39.57%. The Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, where a new head of the region is being elected, has completely surpassed the 50 percent turnout level. At the same time, in four villages of the district – Nutepelmen, Vankarem, Egvekinot, Enurmin – 100 percent of voters voted. This might seem surprising if you do not take into account that each of them has less than 100 inhabitants.

In general, the most important thing in current campaigns is to attract voters to the ballot box. In Kuzbass, where the head of the region was being elected, for this purpose, polling stations were turned into a kind of multifunctional centers: there one could undergo a medical examination, take part in master classes, and even have a wedding. As a result, on the third day of voting by 15:00 the turnout was 76.59 percent. However, the Kemerovo region has always been famous for its electoral activity. Previously, it was believed that the great merit of ex-governor Aman Tuleyev was great for this. It turned out that this is just the mentality of the residents.

But the most interesting things happened in new territories. It would be strange if Ukraine did not try to spoil the final stage of voting, which in these regions started ahead of schedule on August 30. It took place in an on-site format: ballot boxes were placed in courtyards, parks, and pensioners and people with disabilities were visited at home. Stationary polling stations opened their doors on Friday. Therefore, air defense systems and local law enforcement had to work. At night, a drone destroyed one polling station in the city of Melitopol, Zaporozhye region. It’s good that it was two o’clock in the morning, so there were no people there. And Zaporozhye police reported that thanks to the vigilance of residents on election day, planned provocations at polling stations were avoided.

There was also unrest in the Kherson region. In the Skadovsky district near polling stations. two drones were shot down. In the Golopristansky district, a member of the regional election committee saved voters by leading them out from under the fire of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. A site in Novaya Zburyevka came under fire, and a grenade was found near another site in the Genichesk region. And despite this, entire queues formed at polling stations in Genichesk and Skadovsk, Kherson region, over the weekend. The weather was conducive to public festivities, so whole families and work groups went to the sites. “I never went to elections in Ukraine. And then suddenly I wanted it,” the young man told reporters. “And I grew up in the Soviet Union. And these were the best years of my life. Therefore, now I am happy to return to Russia” – these are the words of an elderly resident of Genichesk.

Things were unusually calm in Donetsk on the last day of voting. The day before, 198 shells were fired at the city. Six houses were damaged in the Kuibyshevsky and Kievsky districts of the city, two people died. But on the 10th until the end of voting there were no arrivals in the city; it was thundering somewhere in the distance. Polling stations in the Donetsk People’s Republic were open until 15:00, after which the counting of votes began. In the Lugansk Republic, polling stations completed their work at 16.00. The decision to reduce the work of polling stations is connected not only with the high turnout of residents of the Republics on previous voting days, but also with the need to ensure the safety of citizens, since the Armed Forces of Ukraine have significantly increased the intensity of shelling over the past week.

According to the Central Election Commission, in the Donetsk People’s Republic, more than 76% of Donetsk residents cast their votes for candidates in the regional parliament. In the LPR – more than 61%.