a few details on the local market for votes.
on Saturday evening, we were warned that one of the local mayorial canidates had been scheming to buy votes with the aid of modern technology. That's right! The bad guys have figured out how to work cameraphones!
They would loan the phones to voters, who would in turn take a photograph of their vote, and send it back to the buyer. Upon leaving the polling station they would return the phone and make some quick cash.
(Don't really understand the logistics of this myself, given the minimal about of money people were being paid, wouldn't they just keep the phone and sell that? But then, it doesn't sound like these guys would have any moral issues with giving you a nice beating for that sort of thing.)
Right. So try proving that these people are photographing/selling their votes when they're the only ones in the polling station bothering to use the damned voting booths.
Still, we were pretty positive it was happening. Of course, the militsia detained a couple people for it, but there was actually an incident where one astute citizen aproached the driver of my fellow team members...thinking he was the uhhh...vote dealer. She then attempted to perform the aforementioned exchange. Oppsie!
(wish I had seen that. she must've been pretty upset when he wouldn't hand over the cash.)
Also! Was recently featured on Slate! Kinda flattered.
They would loan the phones to voters, who would in turn take a photograph of their vote, and send it back to the buyer. Upon leaving the polling station they would return the phone and make some quick cash.
(Don't really understand the logistics of this myself, given the minimal about of money people were being paid, wouldn't they just keep the phone and sell that? But then, it doesn't sound like these guys would have any moral issues with giving you a nice beating for that sort of thing.)
Right. So try proving that these people are photographing/selling their votes when they're the only ones in the polling station bothering to use the damned voting booths.
Still, we were pretty positive it was happening. Of course, the militsia detained a couple people for it, but there was actually an incident where one astute citizen aproached the driver of my fellow team members...thinking he was the uhhh...vote dealer. She then attempted to perform the aforementioned exchange. Oppsie!
(wish I had seen that. she must've been pretty upset when he wouldn't hand over the cash.)
Also! Was recently featured on Slate! Kinda flattered.