Soviet-style voting shenanigans at the Royal Society: With a ballot that only allowed existing fellows to vote in favour or to abstain, Prince Andrew elected as a fellow with 11% in favor?

- Bishop Hill blog - Royal pickle

Unfortunately, the society seems to have got itself into a bit of a pickle over its decision to elevate Prince Andrew to the fellowship too.
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Jonathan Leake, who broke the story in the Sunday Times (paywalled), noted that the election involved a ballot paper that only allowed existing fellows to vote in favour or to abstain. Apparently only 11% of the electorate voted in favour of the prince, with "a huge number" abstaining.
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Such Soviet-style shenanigans were mentioned in my Nullius in Verba report in connection with the election of Lord Rees as president, with Rees's the only name on the ballot paper. The electoral practices of the society have no doubt been central to its corruption by political activists. Would the fellows have chosen Paul Erlich in a fair election?