Presidential election 2020 in Belarus

Yermoshina does not rule out changing law to allow voting after 20:00

MINSK, 10 August (BelTA) – Chairperson of the Central Election Commission Lidia Yermoshina did not rule out changing the legislation to allow polling stations to set closing times as she gave an interview with the ONT TV channel, BelTA has learned.

The CEC head noted that in Minsk there were ten polling stations where several hundreds of people were queuing to vote. At the moment of the interview one polling station out of ten continued working. “As far as I know a similar situation happened in Brest Oblast. Though they say that it was about a bunch of people who were bused there. Quite possible it was a provocation. As far as I know the polling station closed. But in Minsk they gave people an opportunity to cast their ballots, which is not prescribed by any law, and which was done without the consent of the Central Election Commission,” Lidia Yermoshina noted. This is why Minsk, according to her, could not submit the voter turnout data.

“On the other hand, maybe it was the right decision. They alleviated the political tensions of people who were queuing near the polling station. That happened for the first time. It is quite possible we need to change the law, to make the rules more flexible, give polling stations an opportunity to act on their own depending on the situation,” Lidia Yermoshina said.

The voter turnout was high. Quite many people were included in the voters’ lists today.

“I can say there were no justified complaints from voters today,” Lidia Yermoshina noted. 

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