Larger turnout abroad predicted for Ukraine runoff

New York — Three minutes before midnight on the last day of voter registation a group of Ukrainian citizens rushed into the polling station to sign up for the second round in the presidential election. They were the last of more than 1400 newly registered voters that submitted applications at polling station ¹94 (Consulate of Ukraine, New York City) following the first election round that took place on October 31.

The second round of balloting will take place on November 21.

Election commission member Vasyl Lopukh expects that some of the first round voters, whose registrations remain valid for the second round, will not make it to the polling station this time. Pilots, for example, would not necessarily be in the same city, or voters traveling long distances may not be able to take the additional time to return for the runoff balloting. However, if a majority of the 1984 voters that participated at ¹94 in the first round turn out on the 21st, the additional 1400 will give a considerable boost to the overall numbers. In New York, 1889 of the first round votes went to Viktor Yushchenko.

Mr. Yushchenko was declared the winner on November 10, after a protracted delay in completing the vote count. He will face off with rival Viktor Yanukovych in a televised debate today.