About the election in Luhansk. How it was

It is boring and trivial to talk about the past election, because: a) it was known from the very beginning who would win and b) the action took place predictably with no surprise at all. And if you expect and anticipate nothing, then it seems to make no sense…

The election process itself was announced through the slogan "Forever with Russia". The inscription was disseminated starting from big boards across the "republic" to A4 sheets literally everywhere.

Of course, this was "forever" that cherished button and secret weapon, to put pressure on which is almost forbidden trick. It seemed that we elected not the deputies and head, but the whole of Russia. And the solution of this global problem of unity with Russia is a cherished dream for many people, - people want to live in a strong state able to protect them. Therefore, we have been confronted with quite a very difficult task - to vote globally, casting our vote, allegedly, for Russia, but in fact, putting a tick in the boxes opposite the deputies and head.

The people around were quite passive before the election, during the election itself, and after. Nobody lived in the mode of exciting expectations, followed the news or relied on candidates. We all were rather weak in the role of extras in this performance. But the most important role was given to Pasechnik, and he played it as best he could, taking the rap for all of us.

A neighbor complained on Saturday that she had not received a voter certificate from her polling station indicating the place of voting, and she did not want to go, look for where to vote and prove the fact of her presence. She wondered where her name could disappear from the last election's lists, but even her surprise was not enough to go somewhere. If you take my family of three adults, only one of us went to vote, and it was under constraint.

It is interesting about the constraint. We, of course, suspected that the whole process would not take a hands-off approach. And if the authorities rely on our consciousness, almost no one will voluntarily come. Therefore, the authorities "secured themselves". On Friday, all state employees were obliged to be at polling stations on the job location. And not just to be, but to be at a specific point of time. It is not customary to discuss orders and instructions from above in the public sector environment in principle. So people were contrary to the personal position. And if we were filmed at that moment, we would have looked like orderly rows of those who want to change and express their consciousness of free will.

To be honest, exactly half voted from my department. And no, the rest did not sit out at home, they also came, even partially entered the polling station, but did not vote - they did not register in the list. The reasons are prosaic there again. People are afraid to fall under the privately promised sanctions, fear the consequences. Having looked closer, it was possible to see those who came at the time and place fixed, registered him/herself there, shook hands with acquaintances, waited a little and left. After all, no one was tracing whether he/she left after the vote or instead of it.

But the most creative people went to the polling station, sat there for a while, as if waiting for someone, and left. If you do not look closer, it was quite similar to the voting. Well, why would he/she otherwise go into the room and mess around the line? All these "ghosts" are recipients of Ukrainian pensions and social benefits. To risk at the election for them is to risk with stable payments, and the choice, for obvious reasons, is always in favor of money.

I was interested in the question of how I can vote on someone else's station, if I did not take an absentee voter certificate from my own (it was persistently told about it from all means of broadcasting). Everything turned out to be simple there again - hundreds of people like me were just added to the additional list by hand according to our passports. And now let us dream up about the fate of the lists at the place of our registration…

What did I feel at the time of the voting? Unpleasant excitement. Next to me were those who never entered the polling station, coming with me. A thought who of us acts more rationally was a pain in the neck.

Yes, there was no "against all" column in the ballot papers. The choice was either to cross out all, or to spoil the ballot paper.

At the exit, those who had voted were given a voucher to replenish the Lugacom operator's account for $1.5 and calendar for the next year. Children and everyone interested received balloons with the symbols of election and colors of the "republican" flag.

For some reason, a Holy War broke out on the Internet about the sale of cheap food products near polling stations. And that is what does not touch me at all. Didn't they sell bakery food, sandwiches or fried fish near polling stations in the Soviet times? All this we went through. But at that time, it symbolized the holiday and caused no resonance. So why did this potato become a red rag?

All the day of November 11, people were talking about the "election" through the city. They spoke ironically, with a hint. What, they say, will attract us to come this time? Free top-up? There are no fools, we were taught by the four years ago election.

They also talked about the Ukrainian sanctions that will be addressed to those who voted. Judging by the remarks, who ever went to that election voluntarily? Except for the candidates themselves.

My friend worked at the polling station. He signed up with his wife, because they were promised $74 each for their work. This is more than a monthly salary for them. The work was quite ordinary - to distribute the invitation, work at the polling station, count the votes. But the same friend warned: "If you go to work at the polling station, you can forget about Ukraine".

The biggest intrigue for those who voted was not about who would win, but what Ukraine would do to the voters. Do you know what is still in common with the four years ago election? Snow, which was the first then-and-now.

Olha Kucher, Luhansk, specially for OstroV