Reported voting violations mar Russia elections

Russia’s three-day parliamentary elections over the weekend were marred by allegations of widespread electoral fraud, including ballot box stuffing and threats against election observers, in favour of President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party.

Video shows an opposition candidate surrounded by police as the person filming shouts: “They are strangling him.” The man had reportedly made accusations of voting violations at a polling station in St Petersburg.

Elsewhere in the city, independent observers found disgruntled voters outside a shuttered polling station that workers said was closed for a cleaning break.

In another incident, an observer challenged a poll worker over doubled-up ballot papers.