New Zealand twitchy amid claims of Russian meddling in bird of the year contest

Hundreds of votes were cast in Russia, but organisers say the email addresses appeared to be legitimate

It's an election that has spawned meme wars, full-size billboards, trash talking between rival campaigns, and now, accusations of Russian electoral fraud. Organisers of New Zealand's bird of the year contest - a wholesome poll that raises awareness about the plight of native species - have denied claims the 2019 result was marred by fowl play after revealing a high number of votes cast from other countries.

"People are coming up with all kinds of theories about Russian involvement in New Zealand elections," said Megan Hubscher, a spokesperson for Forest and Bird, the independent conservation group that runs the annual vote. "But we can assure everyone that everything seems above board this time around."