According to the information from Civil Network OPORA's observers, deployed to polling stations that were selected using a nationally representative sampling, the majority of election commissions have started the voting process conflict-free and in line with the legislation.
Almost 83% of precinct election commissions have started the voting procedure on time, from 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM. Only 0.23% of election precincts opened late, according to OPORA's data. 17% of PECs, however, opened before 8:00 AM, the time of opening established by the law.
Besides that, a significant number of PECs held their early meetings too early. Thus, 17% of precinct election commissions started their preparatory meetings before 7:15 AM, the time established by the law. To compare, the percentage of PECs that made the same procedural violation was a little bigger in 2014 early election of the President of Ukraine – 20%. The major risk of PECs neglecting legislative requirements on the established time of preparatory meetings is that electoral subjects can't control the number of ballot papers at a precinct, and watch counterfoils being put into ballot boxes.
Thus, election commissions have properly organized and held their preparatory meetings. However, a little more than 5% of precinct election commissions have failed to keep the minutes of their preparatory meetings despite this is required by the Law. 99.8% of election commissions have gathered a quorum. There were no problems about the presence and attendance of election commission members.
Observers of Civil Network OPORA and other electoral subjects had a chance to watch each electoral procedure during the morning meeting and the beginning of voting process free from any obstructions. Besides that, less than 1% of observers have reported some organizational problems or obstructions from election commission members that made impossible both their presence at polling stations and observation.