As many as 3.82 percent of the registered voters cast ballots on March 18, the first day of the five-day early voting period preceding March 23, the main voting day in Belarus' elections for local soviets (councils) of deputies, Mikalay Lazavik, secretary of the central election commission, told BelaPAN.
The first day's voter turnout was 4.39 percent in the Mahilyow region, 4.35 percent in Minsk, 4.29 percent in the Vitsyebsk region, 3.37 percent in the Brest region, 3.89 percent in the Homyel region, 2.91 percent in the Hrodna region and 3.4 percent in the Minsk region.
Mr. Lazavik put down what he described as a fairly high turnout rate to the media's active coverage of the elections and the election authorities' efforts to provide information about candidates to voters. "Without leaving their apartment, the voter obtained information about candidates and their number. Though the information was dry and without any judgment, it enabled the voter to choose for whom to vote," he said.
Some 30 percent of the eligible voters cast their ballots during the early voting period in the previous local elections in 2010.
