In Moscow, refugees vote with their whole families: the main thing is to find a polling station

“Many people just don’t know where to go”

The second day of voting begins in the referendum for the accession of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, as well as the DPR and LPR. You can cast your vote not only on the territory of the liberated regions, but also in the Russian Federation, where there are many refugees. In Moscow, a stir has formed at the polling stations – people come to the referendum with their families. However, a problem was discovered in the organization – finding sites for people who do not know Moscow well turned out to be a difficult task.

Voting points are located throughout Moscow. In the Central District, residents of the liberated territories, for example, can cast their vote at the DPR representation in the Russian Federation, the theater and concert hall of the Central House of Culture, or the central house of an entrepreneur.

“You can vote from abroad,” LNR Ambassador to Moscow Rodion Miroshnik told MK, “Information is disseminated through word of mouth, and people in temporary accommodation centers are informed purposefully. For example, more than 20 polling stations are currently operating in Moscow. I myself voted in Moscow, I saw people and a good mood. People consider it their duty to vote, they are interested, they call call centers.”

— In what subjects of Russia do people vote most actively?

– The largest number of sites in the territories where the largest number of refugees is concentrated – Rostov, Voronezh, Belgorod regions, Krasnodar Territory. Rostovites provided the largest number of departments where polling stations were organized. All the commissions and representations are there – the LPR, the DPR, the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. All people go to the same polling stations, regardless of which territory they vote from

How is voting going in the capital?

– I can’t say that there are crowds of people, but due to security reasons, you can stand in line during the check. And then people are divided into four commissions, fill out the ballots. Since there are no ready-made lists, a person can vote at any polling station, but if he is not on the pre-prepared list, he must write a statement in which he undertakes to vote only once, warning of responsibility. Everything is available, which area is closer to a person, he goes there.

It wasn’t without problems. “Yesterday morning, many telephones were silent, and people until ten could not get information about where to go to vote,” Maria Makeeva, co-organizer of the Refugees of Moscow and Moscow Region assistance headquarters and the Telegram channel, told MK.

— Is the information company a weak link in the organization of the referendum?

“Many simply do not know where to go to vote, it is difficult to get through by phone. Therefore, there is a gap between the desire to vote and the ability to find a place to vote.