Unopened ballots found to have been stamped in favor of AKP in abroad elections

As voting has already begun for Turkish elections abroad, officials on May 5 found out that some of the unopened ballots in a Sydney polling station were already stamped in favor of the ruling AKP. The main opposition CHP has filed a criminal complaint with regards to the issue.

Friday May 05 2023 09:41 pm

Duvar English

Journalist Candaş Tolga Işık on May 5 announced that during Turkish voting in Australia, election officials have discovered unopened ballots that were already stamped in favor of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Işık shared a picture of the voting ballots and wrote: “A ballot box official wrote from Australia and sent the photo. In 720 opened voting ballots, seal had been stamped for a party. An official at the ballot box caught this and registered (the incident). Check your ballots before going into the (election) cabin.”

The photo showed the ballot having been stamped for the AKP.

Avusturalya'dan bir sandık yetkilisi arkadaşımız yazmış. Fotoğrafını da göndermiş. 720'lik açılmamış oy pusulalarında bir partinin mührü vurulmuş pusulalar çıkmış. Sandık başındaki bir yetkili yakalamış, tutanak tutulmuş. Kabine girmeden önce pusulalarınızı mutlaka kontrol edin. pic.twitter.com/3qQFI7fjkB
— Candaş Tolga Işık (@ctisik) May 5, 2023

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)’s abroad organization announced that they have filed a criminal complaint with regards to the issue. “In Australia Sydney 2-G box, with regard to the unopened ballot stamped for the AKP, we have applied to the Overseas District Board of Election for them to file a criminal complaint.”

#Avustralya Sidney 2-G sandığında, bugün açılmamış oy pusulasında AKP'ye basılan mühür ile ilgili, Yurt Dışı İlçe Seçim Kurulu'na suç duyurusunda bulunmaları için başvurumuzu yaptık.@bulenttezcanchp @yukselmkilinc
👇👇#SanaSöz #Secim2023 #CHPYurtDışıÖrgütlenme https://t.co/3PQB852LdA pic.twitter.com/4FwtcaMMno
— CHP Yurt Dışı Örgütlenme (@ChpYurt) May 5, 2023

Turkey’s elections are scheduled for May 14, but citizens living abroad have already started voting in polling stations. Once overseas voting ends, ballots will be brought to Turkey and opened on May 14, together with the other ballots.