This text was given to us by a person who could be described as the coordinator of election observation in one of the regions of the Volga area. We decided to publish it with the author's consent as testimony about the past elections. Names and geographical locations have been removed from it for security reasons; the author's style has been preserved.
Today there are practically no safe ways for parties, candidates, voters or observers to express a position, because it is clear that any word about the elections, about the actions of the authorities, about the actions of election commissions — all of this is dangerous. Or maybe it is not — but try to figure out when and what is dangerous. And this has the worst possible effect on obtaining, let alone publicising, information about violations: parties and candidates have not exactly abandoned observers, but they do not want to, and even forbid, the dissemination of information about violations.
The mass transfer of observers' data from TECs to the authorities, and the equally mass pressure that followed on those observers to make them give up observation, led to observers giving up en masse. This also had a depressing effect on parties and candidates — hence the ban on disseminating information about violations. What did get published is a drop in the ocean.
And the observer finds himself in a strange position: he is a hostage of the commission at the precinct. Crude psychological and physical pressure is applied to him. Three of our people were at the TEC of one of the city districts: while reviewing surveillance camera footage, ballot stuffing was spotted at one of the PECs. They discussed it with the candidate and worked out a plan for appealing. Then the calls began — to the candidate, to the observers who had discovered the stuffing, to the party. As a result, a thuggish-looking little man was assigned to the girls; he followed them at every step, hovered over them at the TEC — the stuffing remained a secret.
During the vote count, several observers insisted on counting according to procedure — everyone stayed at the precinct until morning, the commission did not start work, tormented them morally, called the TEC: “There are two female observers here, fucking schoolgirls, they won't let us work… get them out of here”. Add to this emotional pressure, shame and contempt, provocative epithets: “crazy”, “enemies”, “agents”, “provocateurs”, “you're probably not even communists, we'll write to the party to have you removed”…
Here are real sketches from the precincts from our observers and commission members.
21 September, 7:15 a.m.: observer Anya reports that she has been at the precinct for exactly 24 hours and does not recommend anyone repeat the challenge… And it is time for her to go to work.
21 September, 5:30 a.m.: “We counted the State Duma results, and they tell me I'm a provocateur, an agent, and they will contact the party because I 'didn't let them count normally and quickly with my procedure', you'll sit here until evening… we don't care…”
20 September. A PEC member returned from the TEC at 8:05 p.m. (she had filed a complaint); the PEC chair refused to let her into the precinct. Not even a call from the TEC instructing the chair to let the commission member in for the count helped. The police were called. A police officer arrived, questioned her and left; the chair looked out, swore obscenely, and said: “Here's your payment,” (made an obscene gesture).
A PEC member reports that for reminding the chair about violations of the electoral law and for demanding adherence to the procedures prescribed by law, observers from the Public Chamber and United Russia wrote a complaint against her saying that “she interferes with the work of the commission and is incompetent”, and recommended that she be removed from the PEC membership.
PEC member Matvey (that guy is like a rock, seemingly impossible to topple) writes to our support group: “Friends, tell me the article of the law on police at a precinct during the vote count.” While we were looking for the answer and sent him the “memo for a police officer”, he replies: “Too late. I kicked them all out and banned them from entering. Threw them out into the corridor along with their things!!!!!!!!!”
The PEC chair calls the TEC/the administration/the system administrator: “We've read everything, the control figures match.” She dictates the figures for parties and candidates. The reply: “Recount…” The chair: “Everything matches for us, we're not going to do anything.” The reply: “Well, go fuck yourself.” Dial tone…
The radio is on at the precinct… Advertising… “Are you looking for a way to invest… We will help you find the right offshore!”..
Conclusion
When you cannot openly inform citizens about violations, tell them how things ought to be, express an opinion about the elections in general — what is the point of observation activity, other than testing your own psychological endurance and plunging into the depths of a person's moral fall (that is about commission members) in a situation of control, whether it is pressure on them, innate obedience, or poverty; when elections and everything they do is just a way to earn extra money?