Putin Wins Russian Presidential Election with 76% of the Vote

Vladimir Putin has been re-elected as President of Russia for the fourth time, securing over 76% of the votes. Various reports of electoral violations have emerged during the voting process. According to the Russian Central Election Commission's report on March 18, following the counting of 99% of the votes, Vladimir Putin will lead the Kremlin for another six years with 76.6% of the votes. Initial results and post-election polls also indicated Putin's victory with at least 73% of the votes. Among the seven other candidates competing against the current President of Russia, Pavel Grudinin from the Communist Party received nearly 12% of the votes, while nationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky garnered 6%. Ksenia Sobchak, a journalist and television presenter, received 1.6%, and the remaining candidates from centrist, liberal, and communist factions each received less than 1% of the votes. Putin briefly appeared before his supporters outside the Kremlin and thanked voters. The Russian President stated that his re-election reflects the 'hope and confidence' of the Russian people. He later told reporters that he currently has no plans to attempt to change the Russian constitution and also indicated that he does not intend to run in the 2030 elections. Putin's fourth presidential term will end in 2024, and without changing the current constitution, he cannot run again, but he could do so in 2030, after another term. At 65, he will be 71 at the end of his current term. A Gallup poll conducted in late 2017 indicated that 80% of Russian citizens were satisfied with Putin's leadership; however, only 40% believed the electoral process in Russia was reliable. It is said that the only well-known political figure who could somewhat unite the opposition against Putin and pose a closer challenge to the current President was Alexei Navalny, who was not allowed to participate in the elections. Navalny intended to run for the presidency but was barred from participating due to allegations he claims are fabricated. He urged citizens to boycott the elections on Sunday and not to participate. The Central Election Commission of Russia opposed the presence of Navalny's representatives and observers from the NGO 'Golos' at the polling stations. Nevertheless, NGOs and several observers reported electoral violations at various polling centers. The NGO 'Golos' stated that it received over 2,800 reports of electoral violations, including the transfer of ballot boxes to locations not monitored by cameras and preventing observers from operating in the districts. There were also reports of fake votes being cast, especially in Moscow and St. Petersburg, areas where Putin has less popularity. Some voters reported that their employers or teachers pressured them to participate in the elections. Officials from the Russian Election Commission stated that they are investigating some reports of violations. The Election Commission claims that over 67% of the population participated in the elections, with participation in some regions reported to be higher than in 2012.