Turkey Election Reports of ‘ghost voters,’ stolen ballot papers deepen fraud concerns

With just one day remaining until the June 7 parliamentary election, reports of voter registration forms sent to non-existent people registered at imaginary addresses and claims that ballot papers and ballot box seals have been stolen in Sakarya province have deepened concerns over possible election fraud. report Zaman

Sakarya Bar Association President Zafer Kazan claimed on Twitter on Thursday that two sacks of ballot papers and ballot box seals to be used in Sunday’s election had been stolen in Sakarya. Kazan further claimed those ballot papers have been sent to fraudulent identities. In one of his tweets, Kazan said that the items in question were stolen from a sports hall that will be used as a polling station in the Serdivan district of Sakarya. The Sakarya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has since launched an investigation.

In a report published in the Bugün daily on Thursday, a group set up by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in İstanbul’s Kadıköy district has found that voter registration forms had been sent to a total of 2,860 people who are not residents of Kadıköy. CHP Kadıköy district Chairman Ali Narin said: “For instance, just two people reside in an apartment in the fourth floor of one block. However, more than two people have been registered as voters living at this two-person apartment. This family called us and told us that two non-existent people had been registered as living at their apartment. This has proved that there are many nonexistent voters in Kadıköy.”

Similarly, Nalan Dilaverler, who lives in an apartment block in the Bakırköy district of İstanbul, found out that 12 voter registration forms had been sent to the block by the Supreme Election Board (YSK) despite the fact that there are only eight apartments in the building. She noted that four of the registration papers correspond to fake addresses.

“In our block, the apartments are numbered from four to 11. However, four voter registration papers were sent to apartments numbered one, two, three and 12,” Dilaverler said.

Noting that there were no ID numbers written on these voter registration forms, she said that she had informed several public institutions including the muhtar (neighborhood head), the Bakırköy Registry Office and the provincial election board about the situation.

Saying that the registry office is currently reviewing the issue, Dilaverler maintained that she will keep an eye on proceedings during election day and watch out for any fraudulent activity.