Voters report violations of campaigning rules in regions of North-Caucasian Federal District

A portrait of a presidential candidate at a polling station and publications in his support were spotted in Chechnya after voting began at presidential election. In the Stavropol Territory, a senior official urged residents to vote for a specific candidate, voters have informed.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that abuse of administrative resources and calls to vote for one of the candidates were recorded in Karachay-Cherkessia, North Ossetia, Stavropol Territory and Chechnya before the start of voting at the presidential election.

In Chechnya, two reports of possible election violations were recorded, as indicated on the website of the "Map of Election Violations" project, which is run by the "Golos" (Vote) movement*. According to one of the reports, on March 15, information appeared in mass media that immigrants from Palestine who arrived in Chechnya were planning to vote for a specific candidate. "This publication has propaganda signs," the report says.

Another voter's report indicated that there was a portrait of one of the presidential candidates hanging on the wall of the polling station.

*On August 18, 2021, the "Golos" (Vote) all-Russian public movement in defence of voters' rights was included in the new register of unregistered public associations performing the functions of a foreign agent. The movement's website is blocked in Russia.