Estonia Says Election-Data Delay Was a Mistake, Not Foul Play

(Bloomberg) -- Irregularities in the publication of Estonia’s election results last night were the result of a mistake by local authorities and there’s been no sign of foul play, according to officials in charge of organizing the vote.

The election commission’s website didn’t show any results for about half an hour after voting concluded, then it first displayed data from the 2017 local election, prompting some critical comments on social media. Estonia is the only country offering online voting in national elections, with early results especially scrutinized as 44 percent of votes were cast via computers.

The mistake was the result of a faulty link, rather than involvement by Russia or “any other external power,” Kristi Kirsberg, a spokeswoman for the National Electoral Commission, said on Monday.

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