Russia votes starting today in a three-day poll to choose the next president. The result is all but certain with President Vladimir Putin all set to come to power till at least 2030.
Any opposition figure to challenge him is either in prison or exiled abroad.
Here is what you need to know about the polls.
Eligible To Vote
Any Russian citizen over 18 who is not in prison on a criminal conviction. There are around 112.3 million eligible voters in Russia.
The turnout in Russia’s 2018 presidential election was 67.5% amid allegations of vote rigging.
How Will People Vote?
It is the first time that people in Russia will vote in a three-day poll instead of one. This is not the first time that Moscow used multiple-day voting.
In 2020, the referendum on constitutional reforms was orchestrated by Putin to allow him to run for two more terms.
It’s also the first presidential election to use online voting. This will be available in 27 Russian regions and Crimea, which Moscow illegally seized from Ukraine 10 years ago. Polls will take place in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson — the four regions annexed after the full-scale invasion in 2022.
The Contenders
Leading the fray in president Vladimir Putin, who at 71 is seeking a fifth term in office, which would keep him in power for another six years. He first came to power in 2000 and is now the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.
Others who are contesting include Nikolai Kharitonov of the Communist Party, Leonid Slutsky of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party, and Vladislav Davankov of the New People Party.
Those standing against Putin support Kremlin policies, including the war in Ukraine. Previous elections have shown such candidates are unlikely to get enough votes to mount a challenge to Putin.
One of Putin’s biggest threats ahead of polls has been Boris Nadezhdin, a liberal politician who made ending the war his main campaign theme, but he has been barred from contesting by the election commission, which rejected his candidature.
Not A Free & Fair Poll
These elections are unlikely to be free and fair with observers saying that the vote which will take place over three days and online voting are likely to hinder transparency.
Only One Winner
With a non-existent opposition and no real alternatives, these elections have little opportunity for people to demonstrate discontent with Putin and the war. Anyone who could have challenged him is in prison or exiled abroad.
