From gifts and promises dangled before voters to paid online advertisements and campaigning in places of worship, 93 election complaints have reached prosecutors in the run-up to Wednesday’s vote.
Public prosecution offices received the complaints between Aug 21 and Sept 15 and had taken a decision on 92pc of them after examination, according to figures from the Presidency of the Public Prosecution. Five years ago, the corresponding tally stood at 229.
The numbers may have fallen, but what can constitute an election offense has grown.
Seven complaints accuse individuals of offering gifts, donations, promises or administrative grants to a local authority or groups of citizens in an attempt to influence voters.
Three concern campaigning inside places where electioneering is barred—houses of worship, educational or vocational training institutions and public administrations.
One complaint combines two old staples of election violations; posters put up where they should not have been and public equipment pressed into service for a candidate’s campaign.
Two others concern political advertisements or paid election content carried on foreign websites or electronic platforms.
Complaints were also lodged over campaign material circulated on polling day, attempts to persuade voters not to cast their ballots and the recruitment of people to disturb public order.
A new battleground to police
Changes brought by laws 53.25 and 55.25 have put a long list of online practices within reach of the election laws, including the use of social media, AI tools, open broadcasting networks and other electronic platforms to spread false or misleading information or falsified material against voters and candidates.
A doctored photograph or a manufactured voice can now carry consequences of its own. The provisions cover content that combines or alters a person’s image or statements without consent when it is circulated to invade the privacy of, or defame, a voter or candidate.
Between Aug 31 and Sept 16, prosecutors recorded 22 complaints involving social media, open broadcasting networks or computer systems.
The wider reach of the law did not turn every grievance into a criminal case. Thirty-nine complaints were found to concern acts that did not amount to criminal offenses, according to the Presidency.
In all, the complaints received during the election period touched on 54 types of offenses.
The Presidency said the variety of complaints, particularly those involving digital platforms and computer systems, bore out the decision to amend the election laws to deal with conduct capable of upsetting fair competition between candidates.
