Organized fraud allegations in anti-government voting districts

Reports of unsealed ballot envelopes in anti-government voting districts raise a suspicion of organised fraud
Sunday, 16 April 2017 17:32

In voting districts known with anti-government stance, that are also the districts expected to have overwhelming "no" votes, there are numerous reports of unsealed ballot envelopes. These voting districts include some districts of Istanbul, Mersin and Antalya provinces.

It has been reported by the local media that polling station observers from the ruling AKP party had invalidated those votes without sealed ballot envelopes. In some cases, AKP member polling station observers even tried to invalidate the whole ballot box, including the unused envelopes.

According to the voting regulations of the Supreme Electoral Council of Turkey, each and every ballot envelope should have been sealed before the polls were opened for voting. If a ballot envelope is unsealed, the vote is disannulled. Every citizen entitled to vote should check for the seals before voting and s/he has the right to inform the polling station officers of any inconvenience.