Voter turnout on the first day of elections in Russia is particularly high. Independent observers claim that the reason is that employers are forcing workers to go out to vote, to prove that the country is standing behind Putin.
The Kremlin claims that the election process, which Putin is expected to win with an overwhelming majority, is completely democratic. 706 foreign observers participate in the elections, and more than 300 thousand Russian observers appointed by the candidates, the parties and social organizations. Citizens who set fire and spilled ink on polling stations were arrested.