Russians Said They Came to Polling Stations With Apples. The Federal List of the Party of the Same Name Was Removed From the State Duma Election

Russians said they came to polling stations with apples. The federal list of the party of the same name was removed from the State Duma election

Russians said on social media that they were taking apples with them to polling stations to vote and were posting photos with them en masse, “Vyorstka” noticed.

For example, a resident of Saratov Oblast said she came to a polling station with a bag of apples and wanted to treat the commission members to them. She published a photo with a ballot and a piece of fruit lying on it.

“They refused the treat. Apparently, an apple is outside their regulations. Well, as they wish. Let them keep sitting there on an empty stomach — maybe they’ll vote more correctly when they’re hungry,” she wrote.

Another user published a photo next to an information stand in which she and her daughter are holding an apple. Another voter from Sverdlovsk Oblast also posted a photo of her voting, with an apple lying next to the ballot.

In addition, users said they found apples near the entrance to precinct election commissions or left them in voting booths themselves. Some took accessories or other objects connected with the fruit to the election.

As media outlets reported, at some polling stations apples were perceived as a tool of illegal campaigning. For example, in Yekaterinburg police were called to a polling station because of an apple on one observer’s desk. The outlet “7x7” also wrote that in Tatarstan people had begun publishing threats to “put people on the floor” over apples at polling stations.

💜Earlier, the Supreme Court, following a lawsuit by the Rodina party, removed Yabloko’s federal list from the election. In addition, as “Vyorstka” wrote, at least 42 Yabloko candidates were removed from the election or not admitted to it.

😘 Read our news first at @svobodnieslova and support our work