6000 Fake Ballots Found in Russia's Parliamentary Vote

A criminal case has been opened into ballot rigging in the Central Russian city of Vladimir where about 6,000 "dead souls" voted in the December 4 parliamentary elections, a regional investigations committee spokesman announced.

The case involved two makeshift polling stations in the city's Kommunar residential district, which effectively remained closed until afternoon on election day and from which election monitors were barred, RIA Novosti reported.

Nevertheless, a local electoral commission reported 6 000 voters had cast their ballots - apparently local students who had been told to hand in their passports on election day.

On the night of January 7-8 most of the documents at a local administration building were destroyed by an "accidental" fire.

The investigation was initiated by A Just Russia, a quasi-opposition party led by Sergei Mironov.

Tens of thousands of people rallied in Moscow and other Russian cities in December in a show of anger over alleged vote fraud in favor of the pro-Kremlin United Russia party of Vladimir Putin.

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