Presidential election begins in Russia

Polling stations have opened across Russia, kickstarting the 2024 presidential election, in which president Vladimir Putin faces three opponents, RT reports.

The voting is set to take place for three days through Sunday.

This year, four candidates are vying for the top job, which comes with a six-year term. Incumbent Vladimir Putin, who is running as an independent candidate, is up against the head of the right-wing Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) Leonid Slutsky, Communist candidate Nikolay Kharitonov, and Vladislav Davankov, representing the liberal centrist New People.

This will be the first presidential election in Russia following a 2020 constitutional reform, which established a limit of two six-year terms for any one person serving as head of state. However, the change also resulted in Putin’s terms being “nullified,” enabling him to run for office again.

Apart from voting at polling stations in person, residents of some 28 regions are able to cast their ballots online through the country’s electronic voting system. 

Related Articles Russia MP: I’m ashamed of my colleagues' assessments of events in Karabakh Joint Russia-Turkey monitoring center closing in Karabakh Overchuk: Russia awaits Armenia's Pashinyan at EAEU summit in Moscow Russia MFA spox comments on Putin's words regarding Karabakh’s status MFA spox: Russia has always perceived the Armenian Genocide as its own pain, misfortune Armenia parliament not received any letter from Russia, legislature speaker's spox says We mourn together with Armenian people: Embassy of Russia to Armenia We are satisfied with how security problems in region are solved with participation of Russia: Aliyev at meeting with Putin Fifty drones destroyed in sky of eight regions of Russia: Ministry of Defense of Russia India starts voting in world's largest election