Ballot stuffing

Ballot stuffing is a form of election fraud in which unauthorized ballots are illicitly added to the ballot box. This can occur at various stages of the voting process: before voting begins, when ballots are preloaded into the box prior to sealing; during voting, when additional ballots are inserted while voting is in progress; or during the vote counting process, when extra ballots are introduced either when the box is opened, during ballot sorting, or while counting.

Ballot stuffing is complicated by two factors. First, each ballot at a polling station is unique, marked with specific stamps from the precinct election commission (PEC), which allows for identification. Second, every ballot issued at the station is recorded on the voter list, confirming its issuance.

As a result, illegal ballots must not only be physically inserted into the box (the first stage of falsification) but also legitimized (the second stage of falsification). The process of "legitimizing" stuffed ballots can only be carried out by PEC members with a decisive vote, as they are required to sign for each ballot issued in the voter list. Without this verification, any discrepancy between the number of issued ballots and those found in the box would become apparent during vote counting. For this reason, ballot stuffing is typically carried out either directly by PEC members or with their active involvement.