The New York Times reports: A day before snap elections to try to legitimize two self-declared new countries in eastern Ukraine, the preparations seemed as ad hoc as the votes themselves.

Ballots for the “people’s republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk were created on copiers. Voting booths in one city were thrown together Saturday with red drapes stapled to wooden frames, and an election organizer in Donetsk said he was sure the vote would count because there was no rule for a minimum turnout. [Continue reading…]

The Kyiv Post reports: A group of armed Kremlin-backed rebels in possession of a 100,000 ballots already marked with a ‘yes’ vote for the May 11 referendum in Donetsk Oblast were captured and the ballots seized during the Ukrainian government’s anti-terrorist operation near the rebel-occupied city of Sloviansk on May 10.

In addition, a Kalashnikov rifle, Makarov pistol, plus ammunition were seized, Obezrevatel reported. Earlier, Ukrainska Pravada reported that the separatists had seized 80 schools in Donetsk city to carry out their referendum.