The ballot-box observer who called in the violations Acar had come to investigate had left the polling site by the time he arrived. He told Acar he had been beaten by the Muhtar for snitching, and had gone into hiding. A shootout at another polling station had already claimed three lives that day, and the observer had no interest in being the fourth. Acar told me that the Muhtar claimed he and the law officers were present only to provide security during the voting process, and that the observer “was causing trouble,” so they kicked him out.

Acar eventually learned that the rural police officers were allegedly telling people they would regret casting a “No” vote—a clear form of intimidation. He pointed out the misconduct to the Muhtar, and threatened legal action if he and his subordinates did not exit the polling sites; they complied, and voting continued, unimpeded. But the HDP had asked Acar to monitor voting sites throughout the entire district, and he could only stick around for an hour. “The people told me that once I left, the Muhtar and security forces would enter the voting areas again, and I don’t doubt they did,” Acar said.

Acar tried to report the violations to the district’s electoral board, but the office had already closed, preventing him from filing the complaints before results were announced. Erdogan would prove triumphant, claiming victory with a vote of 51.4 percent in favor of “Yes.” The result will transfer legislative, executive and judicial authority to the presidency, while allowing for the potential extension of Erdgoan’s tenure until 2029.

Yet reports of voting irregularities are tainting the referendum’s legitimacy. Opposition parties have claimed that as many as 2.5 million votes may have been manipulated in a vote that passed by a margin of 1.3 million “Yes” ballots. Such allegations of fraud could undermine Erdogan’s drive to consolidate power during chaotic times in Turkey, further fueling the international community’s deepening conviction that he is edging closer to an illiberal autocracy.

Initial reviews of the voting process have brought forth a slew of complaints, particularly in the nation’s southeast. “We have 65 pages of violations reported today,” HDP spokesman Osman Baydemir said on the night of the referendum. “Voting is supposed to be done in secret and counted openly,” whereas, in some places on Sunday, the opposite seemed to occur.

This certainly seemed to be Acar’s experience in Oyuktas. By the end of the day, the village had registered 375 votes, 219 for “Yes” and 134 for “No,”—which is odd, Acar said. Situated in the province of Batman, Oyuktas residents are majority Kurdish and known to oppose Erdogan’s agenda, as they have felt largely disenfranchised by his Justice and Development Party (AKP). Kurds represent roughly 20 percent of the country’s 75 million citizens. While not all are opposed to Erdogan and the AKP, questions remain over why regions with HDP-leaning Kurdish majorities produced some of the most significant swings in voting patterns.