In a historic election, Vladimir Putin, the incumbent President of Russia, is poised to secure his fifth term by a significant margin, as reported by Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC). With nearly 95 percent of the votes counted as of 1 a.m. Moscow time, Putin leads with an estimated 87.3 percent of the vote.
According to the regulations of Russia's presidential elections, a candidate who garners over 50 percent of the votes secures victory. Following Putin, Communist Party candidate Nikolay Kharitonov is anticipated to secure second place with 4.7 percent, followed by Vladislav Davankov of the New People party with 3.6 percent, and Leonid Slutsky of the Liberal Democrats at 2.5 percent.
Exit polls conducted nationwide earlier reflected similar trends, projecting Putin to win with 87.8 percent. This marks the first election since the 2020 constitutional amendment, which introduced a two-term limit for presidents. However, this limit does not apply retrospectively, allowing Putin, who has served as president since 1999, to contest this year and even in 2030.
The voter turnout for this election reached a historic high, surpassing 74 percent, according to CEC data. Over 74 percent of the 112.3 million eligible voters cast their ballots, making it a significant turnout for modern Russia.
The election spanned three days, from March 15 to 17, marking the first multi-day election in the country's history. Additionally, voters in 29 out of 89 regions, including Moscow, were given the option to vote online, with 90 percent of the 4.7 million applicants opting for this format.
This election also saw voters in four "new Russian regions" exercise their franchise, including Kherson and Zaporozhye, as well as Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
Significant turnout was reported in regions such as Chechnya (96 percent), Tuva (over 94 percent), Kemerovo Region (94 percent), and Donetsk People’s Republic (88.17 percent), while lower turnouts were recorded in the Tomsk and Altai Regions, as well as in the Republic of Karelia.
Despite sporadic attempts to disrupt polling stations, including setting ballot boxes on fire or tampering with votes, the election proceeded smoothly. The CEC reported repelling over 280 hacking attacks on the online voting system, ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.
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