Where are 620 ballot papers? Obvious errors in election results protocol forms

Errors and violations on the protocol forms filled in by election commission are a common thing. Candidates are usually removed from the race over spotted errors while election commissions are expected to recruit the most experienced staffers.

Here is the resullts protocol in the polling station No 24. On 17 February, the station had 2400 ballot papers. According to the filled in protocol form, voters obtained 17, with 1763 remaining. Where are unaccounted 620 ballot papers?

Euroradio called the election commission at the polling stations No 24 and asked to clarify the situation.

Euroradio: The protocol form says that a total of 17 ballot papers were given to voters. It means that only 17 people came to vote early. Is that correct?

Deputy head of election commission: This is the number of people who came on the last day of early voting. A total of 637 people voted early. That's why 620 ballot papers are missing in the protocol.

This means however that the election commission incorrectly filled in the protocol of the last day of early voting, because the same protocol form says that "on the last day of early voting the total number of voters who obtained ballot papers during the whole period of early voting is indicated. In other words, all 637 ballot papers - not 17 - should have been indicated.

Such 'errors' happen everywhere. Here is the protocol from the polling station No 5 in Minsk. 100 ballot papers are missing. What a common mistake...

The election commission was unable to comment on this. The election commission members were not even aware that ballot papers were missing on the signed protocol. They promised to find out what went wrong.

Here is the protocol from the city of Zlobin where the numbers are simply amazing. Obviously, there should be 2070 ballot papers. According to an election commission member, this error was rectified.