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Decision 2013: More problems evident with `vanishing' ink
http://www.armenianow.com/vote_2013/43577/armenia_presidential_election_passport_ink_voting_ violations
VOTE 2013 | 18.02.13 | 13:46
Chairman of the Central Election Commission Tigran Mukuchyan has
stated that as of this hour (around 12 p.m.) there have been no
reports about rapidly oxidizing ink in passport stamps, nonetheless
social networks are full of discussions about it.
The ink on the stamps used to prevent double voting should disappear
in 12 hours, however during the recent parliamentary election it was
disappearing within 1-2 hours after stamping. This allowed the
opposition to claim that people were able to vote more than once. The
election authorities have repeatedly stated that stamping is not the
only safeguard against double voting.
Despite Mukuchyan's statement, candidate Raffi Hovannisian stated
after casting his vote, that the stamp verifying the voting can be
erased with wet wipes or regular water.
A test of the ink in the ArmeniaNow newsroom proved that the ink
disappears easily when wiped with just a tissue and a small amount of
water.
There are several videos on Youtube showing how the ink comes off when
wiped with wet tissues. However, they only prove that it is possible
to remove the stamp using the described method, and are not an
evidence of actual double voting.
There has been one report on rapidly oxidizing ink without using wet
wipes or water. This was registered by Europe Union of Law NGO
observer at Mrgavan village, Ararat province.
http://www.armenianow.com/vote_2013/43577/armenia_presidential_election_passport_ink_voting_ violations
VOTE 2013 | 18.02.13 | 13:46
Chairman of the Central Election Commission Tigran Mukuchyan has
stated that as of this hour (around 12 p.m.) there have been no
reports about rapidly oxidizing ink in passport stamps, nonetheless
social networks are full of discussions about it.
The ink on the stamps used to prevent double voting should disappear
in 12 hours, however during the recent parliamentary election it was
disappearing within 1-2 hours after stamping. This allowed the
opposition to claim that people were able to vote more than once. The
election authorities have repeatedly stated that stamping is not the
only safeguard against double voting.
Despite Mukuchyan's statement, candidate Raffi Hovannisian stated
after casting his vote, that the stamp verifying the voting can be
erased with wet wipes or regular water.
A test of the ink in the ArmeniaNow newsroom proved that the ink
disappears easily when wiped with just a tissue and a small amount of
water.
There are several videos on Youtube showing how the ink comes off when
wiped with wet tissues. However, they only prove that it is possible
to remove the stamp using the described method, and are not an
evidence of actual double voting.
There has been one report on rapidly oxidizing ink without using wet
wipes or water. This was registered by Europe Union of Law NGO
observer at Mrgavan village, Ararat province.