Obstacles to voting and violations were recorded during the elections in Armenia.

Observers reported video surveillance at polling stations, attempts to influence the vote, and deceased individuals on the voter lists. Furthermore, difficulties were created in allowing unregistered voters to participate in the vote. Before the polling stations closed, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported 29 violations, including attempts at double voting, and the ombudsman received 59 complaints.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," parliamentary elections in Armenia took place today. Observers previously reported violations, including the filling out of a ballot by a voter's relative and violations of voting secrecy. Members of the ruling Civil Contract party are committing widespread violations at polling stations, while the Central Election Commission and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia are demonstrating inaction, claiming they are unable to control what is happening, the opposition reported.

The "Ayakve" observation mission reports on the violations it has recorded. Thus, the voter list for polling station 9/50 includes individuals who have died or no longer reside at that address, Ayakve reports.

At polling station 11/36, a visually impaired woman was assisted in placing her 16th ballot (the number of the ruling Civil Contract party - Caucasian Knot note) in the ballot box.

Attempts to influence voters' choices have been recorded in Gyumri.

At polling station 8/60, a man filmed the voting process, observers reported.

As of 2:00 PM (1:00 PM Moscow time), the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported 29 reports of election violations. "Six cases of repeat voting and five cases of violations of ballot secrecy were recorded. The materials have been transferred to the Investigative Committee, and six individuals have been detained. Another 121 reports of alleged violations are being investigated," Armenia Today quotes the agency as saying.

The Office of the Ombudsman of Armenia reported that as of 3:00 PM (2:00 PM Moscow time) today, its hotline had received 59 telephone calls regarding human rights compliance during the electoral process.

Some of the calls were not within the Ombudsman's purview and were forwarded to authorized bodies. Some issues were of a systemic legislative nature and did not require immediate intervention. With the assistance of the Ombudsman's Office, 15 appeals related to his mandate received positive decisions, according to a statement from the Ombudsman's Office, Aysor.Am.

"The appeals concerned, in particular, the absence of voter data on the voter lists, voting procedures, accessibility of polling stations, and the exercise of the electoral rights of persons with disabilities, ensuring the voting rights of citizens undergoing inpatient treatment, as well as voters registered in other communities or without residence registration. Furthermore, the appeals touched upon issues related to criminal proceedings initiated during election day," the statement reads.

Voters were obstructed from participating in the polls

Police and passport offices created numerous obstacles, especially for those citizens of the Republic of Armenia who do not have a specific registered address. They are either not provided with the necessary certificate, delaying the process, or are referred to the courts. This also includes the actions or inaction of courts, which simply refuse to accept such applications or attempt to stall under various pretexts. This was stated today, June 7, during a press conference by Artsvik Minasyan, a candidate for parliament from the Armenia bloc.

"A specific case occurred very recently: Hovsep Abedyan has been unable to exercise his right to vote since early morning. The police and passport office claim they cannot issue the relevant document and issue a written refusal. We are attempting to appeal this written refusal in court, but the courts are refusing to accept the application. After two or three attempts, we somehow managed to register it, but imagine—there are only a few hours left, and they will likely drag out the process, which will result in him losing his right." - he said a few hours before the end of the voting.

"Another important and large-scale problem is the issue of Artsakh Armenians. They have also created clear and real obstacles to the voting of the Artsakh people," Minasyan noted.

As a reminder, up to 25,000 refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh have the right to vote in the upcoming elections in Armenia: according to the Migration Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia, up to 37,000 internally displaced persons have received citizenship, 12,000 of whom are minors. Several thousand refugees who have not accepted Armenian citizenship asked to be included in the voter lists, but this has not yet been ensured. Some of the refugees interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" said that they were ready to vote for pro-Russian forces, not having sympathy for Russia, while others decided not to go to the polls.

As "Caucasian Knot" wrote node", all internally displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh must obtain Armenian citizenship if they want to vote in the elections to the National Assembly, since Karabakh passports expired in 2025. The refugees claim that they had the right to participate in the elections before, but now their rights have been violated.

According to analysts, the parties of Samvel Karapetyan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and former President Robert Kocharyan will be key competitors in the elections on June 7. Samvel Karapetyan's "Strong Armenia", along with Robert Kocharyan's "Armenia" bloc and Gagik Tsarukyan's Prosperous Armenia Party is one of the most pro-Russian parties in the Armenian parliamentary elections. The Caucasian Knot has prepared a report titled "2026 Elections to the National Assembly (Parliament) of Armenia".