Putin claims massive victory in Russian election

The longtime leader gathered over 87 percent of the vote in Russia’s presidential election, the state-run TASS new agency reported Monday. Russian citizens and Ukrainians in occupied territories voted over the weekend in the country’s 2024 presidential election. Vladimir Putin gave an address on Thursday before the country’s eighth presidential election, which he described as “one of the basic principles of a democratic state.” The 71-year-old has served as either president or prime minister since 1999 and may serve two more six-year terms thanks to a constitutional amendment he signed in 2021. Incumbent candidate Putin faces three other candidates as he seeks a fifth term as president, but his re-election is all but guaranteed. The reliability of Russian elections has long been called into question by the West. Russian leaders did not invite the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, an international peace-keeping organization, to observe and assess the election.

Who were the candidates? Nikolai Kharitonov represented the Communist Party and vowed not to criticize Putin during his campaign, asking, “What am I going to criticize for?” The candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Leonid Slutsky, also insisted he “will not take away votes from the president of Russia” or “call for voting against Putin.” He cited “the consolidation of society around him” as his reason, describing citizen solidarity as “unprecedented.” Vladislav Davankov represents the New People’s Party, advocating for less government censorship and tepidly supporting peace talks with Ukraine “but on our terms.”

How do Russian elections work? Citizens 18 and older can vote with traditional paper ballots or on an e-voting machine, a controversial rollout this election cycle. Voters will also have three days to cast a ballot instead of one, which is another new addition. Putin also confirmed, “Our military on the frontlines will vote, as well.”

What is voter turnout like? The state-run news outlet TASS claimed that about 3 million people voted in less than a day after the polls opened. However, NPR reported that the Kremlin is “offering prizes and raffles to entice voters,” with some posters marketing “smart speakers, tickets to local attractions, and pharmacy discounts.”

Dig deeper: Read William Inboden’s column in WORLD Opinions about the significance of Alexei Navalny’s death.