WSJ: Potential Russian Voter Fraud as High as 14 Million Votes
The WSJ’s investigation into allegations of voter fraud in Russia yielded significant anomalies following a comprehensive inspection of almost the voting precincts, with the potential fraud reaching as high as 20% of total votes.
A comprehensive examination of the full results from Russia’s nearly 100,000 voting precincts reveals statistical anomalies that experts say are consistent with widespread vote-rigging. These irregularities could cast doubt, by one rough measure, over as many as 14 million of the 65.7 million votes reportedly cast.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s ruling United Russia party captured a high share of voters—far above the 49.3% it received nationwide—in precincts where voter turnout was reported to be well above the national average, according the analysis. That dynamic suggests broad ballot-stuffing, according to experts in vote monitoring. In addition, the analysis revealed a second anomalous pattern in the results they said is also consistent with doctored results.
The analysis doesn’t in itself prove fraud in Russia’s Dec. 4 parliamentary elections. But it follows weeks in which local and international observers reported what they said were numerous individual cases of ballot-box stuffing, vote falsification and other violations. It provides the first overall picture that any alleged election fraud could be broad in scale.