Has the technology of namesakes worked in early parliamentary elections?

If we took all the namesake candidates registered for 21 July 2019 early parliamentary elections, we could make a separate party list with at least 150 candidates.

In these elections, technology of namesakes was used in two basic forms. The first, more traditional one, was the registration of candidates with the same names and surnames in the single-mandate districts, and sometimes even the same patronymics. This time it was less popular than in 2012 parliamentary elections and, by and large, did not work. District № 106in Luhansk oblast was an exception, where the independent candidate Yurii Furmanlost to a candidate from the Servant of the People Oleksii Kuznetsovwith a difference of 1,002 votes. At the same time, candidate with the same surname Andrii Furman received 1,622 votes. 

The other technology of namesakes turned out to be quite effective, when candidates indicated in their biographies that they are members of organizations, which names are the same as names of political parties participating in the race (but candidates are not nominated by these parties). According to OPORA's calculations, over 90 independent candidates (in 55 single-mandate districts) presented themselves as representatives of a private enterprise, public or charitable organization named "Servant of the People", or (much less often) "Holos". The National Police of Ukraine initiated 34 cases concerning the illegal use of party brands under Article 157 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (impeding exercise of a citizen's franchise).

According to preliminary results of the election in seven single-mandate districts, efforts of electoral subjects, whose purpose could have been to deliberately mislead voters regarding the identity of a candidate and party he/she represents, were quite successful. Based on the analysis conducted by Civil Network OPORA, we have to mention that the use of namesake technology in single-mandate districts #37, 64, 78, 119, 146, 198, 210 had a negative impact on the voting process and require careful study and evaluation by law enforcement agencies. Thus, all candidates who ran in single-mandate districts and indicated in biographical information about membership in organizations whose names were the same or similar to the names of parties participating in the race, received over 178,000 votes.

Independent candidate Dmytro Shpenov (MP of the 6th and 7th convocations and member of the Party of Regions faction) won representative of the Servants of the People Ihor Fartushnyiin district #37of Dnipropetrovsk oblast with a difference of 1,208 votes. At the same time, five independent candidates, who indicated their membership in organizations containing the phrase "servant of the people" in title, received 11,365 votes. Besides that, candidate with the same surname as Ihor Fartushnyiwas nominated in the same district and received 1,112 votes.  

Idependent candidateVolodymyr Areshonkov(MP of the 8th convocation, member of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction) won Viacheslav Sihachovfrom "Servants of the people" with a difference of 640 votes in district #64, Zhytomyr oblast. Independent candidate Anatolii Areshkov, whose place of work is PE "Servant of the People!", received 5,872 votes. Similar surnames of candidates (Areshonkov and Areshkov) also mislead the voters and could affect the final results of election in the ditstrict.

Candidate from the Opposition Platform - For Life Olexandr Ponomariov(MP of the 7th convocation, member of the Volia Narodu group pf MPs) is 3,289 votes ahead of the representative of the Servant of the People party Vitalii Bohovin in district #78(Zaporizhia oblast). Independent candidate with the same surname, the Project Director in "Servant of the People" Public Movement, self-nomination Basyl Bohovinreceived 3,860 votes.

Michael Bondar (MP of the 8th convocation, member of the People's Front faction) won the race in district#119(Lviv oblast) with 140 votes ahead of candidate from the Servant of the People party Orest Kavetskyi. Independent candidate Vitalii Kravchuk, who is the Head of the Board at "Servant of the People of Ukraine" NGO, received 2,398 voters.  

Candidate Feliks Urin, nominated by the Servant of the People party, won independent candidate Yurii Shapovalov(MP of the 7th and 8th convocations, member of the "Vidrodzhennia Party" Group of MPs) in district #146with a difference of 2,706 votes. Four self-nominating candidates, who indicated their place of work, as "Servant of the People" PE (both in Ukrainian or in Russian) all received 3,641 votes.

Candidate of the Servant of the People party in district #198(Cherkasy oblast) Nataliia Diachenkolost the race to independent candidate Serhii Rudyk(MP of the 8th convocation, former member of the Svoboda party and member of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction) with a difference of 1,015 votes. There was also independent candidate Olexandr Pyliukhnoin this district, who is Deputy Director of the All-Ukrainian Charitable Fund "Servant of the People", who received 1,395 votes.

Independent candidate Serhii Korovchenkowon another independent candidate Borys Prykhodkowith a minimum difference of 153 votes in district #210(Kyiv oblast) Dmytro Pakhomov(Servant of the People party) took the third place, with 3,243 votes behind the winner. At the same time, two other independent candidates indicated their affiliation with "Servant of the People. ZE!" LLC. and the Public Movement "Servant of the People", received 5,596 voters.  

The function of the law enforcement agencies is to continue the investigation and to determine who was interested in the cases that contain signs of misuse of passive electoral law by citizens. 

 Impact of namesake candidates on the distribution of votes in districts:

*3rd place result