Russia's elections chief said Monday that voting by mail in the U.S. presidential election had paved the way for massive voter fraud, echoing rhetoric from the campaign of Donald Trump.
Ella Pamfilova, the head of Russia's elections commission, said she had carefully studied mail-in voting in the United States and found the process vulnerable to fraud.
"For me, the conclusion is clear: this anachronism in its American form leaves massive scope for possible falsifications," Pamfilova told the state-tun TASS news agency.
She cited the possibility of repeat voting, the unexplained loss of "unwanted" ballots, voting among people listed as deceased and a "lack of systemic control over the whole voting process".
Trump has refused to concede defeat to U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and tried to sow doubt about the election results — without providing evidence.
Trump in particular focused his criticism on mail-in ballots which surged this year and tilted heavily to Democrats.
Russia was accused of interfering in the 2016 U.S. election to help get Trump elected, in the hope he would take a softer line with Moscow.
Biden is expected to take a tougher stand and during the campaign slammed Trump for having "embraced so many autocrats around the world, starting with (Russian President) Vladimir Putin".
Putin is one of the few leaders who has not yet congratulated Biden.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
![paiment methods](https://static.themoscowtimes.com/img/contribute/payment_icons.png)
Remind me later.