As of: March 15, 2024, 4:34 a.m
By: Daniel Dillmann
Comments
Press
Split
In Russia, voting takes place for three full days.
The winner is Vladimir Putin.
But there are already signs of resistance.
The current situation in the news ticker.
Russia
elects
president
: Incumbent Vladimir Putin wants a dominant result in the Russian election
Election
without
opposition
: No real opponents for Putin in Russia
Russia election
in Ukraine: Election in the middle of the Ukraine war should also take place in occupied territories
Moscow - 112 million eligible voters in an election that lasts three days and spans eleven time zones.
The Russia election is one of the biggest ballots of 2024, but the winner has long been determined.
President Vladimir Putin is heading for his fifth term in office.
The 71-year-old politician, who has held various positions at the helm of Russia since 2000, has long since silenced the opposition.
Real opposing candidates are not allowed in the Russia election.
So it's hardly surprising that Vladimir Putin is dominating the polls for the Russian election.
The only thing that remains unclear is the outcome with which the president will be confirmed in office.
Two other factors are likely to become much more important for the Kremlin.
Can the president announce a new record result after the election?
In his first victory in 2000, Putin only received 52.9 percent of the total vote.
In the last Russian election it was 76.7 percent.
This time the result should be north of 80 percent.
Putin's results in the previous Russian elections with him as a candidate
Year |
Result |
2000 |
52.9% |
2004 |
71.3% |
2012 |
64.4% |
2018 |
76.7% |
The other important factor for Vladimir Putin in the Russian election is voter turnout.
The president is trying by all means possible to drive this up.
A high level of participation is intended to preserve the appearance of democratic structures and to consolidate Putin's sole claim to leadership in the middle of the Ukraine war.
The highest voter turnout since the 2000s was in the election in which it was not Putin who was running, but rather his confidant Dmitri Medvedev: In 2008, 69.7 percent of all those eligible took part in the election.
Putin achieved his best result in this statistic in his first election in 2000, when 68.6 percent went to the polls.
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Overview of voter turnout in Russian elections
Year |
Result |
2000 |
68.6% |
2004 |
64.3% |
2008 |
69.7% |
2012 |
65.3% |
2018 |
67.5% |
Due to numerous repressions against any opposition, little resistance or protest against the Russian election is to be expected.
However, neither is completely ruled out.
Particularly in the country's western metropolises such as Moscow and Saint Petersburg, individual actions could disrupt the election process.
Navalnaya calls for protests against Putin in the Russian election
Julija Navalnaya, among others, called for protests against Putin's election.
The widow of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who recently died in a prison camp, called on people in Russia to all go to the polling station on the same day and at the same time.
This could overload the polling stations and send a signal of democratic resistance in an undemocratic election.
Navalnaya titled the call “Lunch against Putin”.
How many people will ultimately dare to express criticism of Putin in the context of the Russia election remains to be seen.
In recent years, the power apparatus in the Kremlin has pushed forward the country's transformation into an authoritarian state.
Criticism of Putin or the war in Ukraine is punishable by prison.
Nevertheless, despite warnings from the authorities, thousands of people attended Navalny's funeral and used the funeral to silently protest against Putin.
The president himself spoke on Thursday (March 14), one day before the start of the Russia election.
“Let me say clearly that taking part in the elections today is a demonstration of patriotism,” Putin said
on Russian state TV , according to a report by
AFP .
Russian President Vladimir Putin after his victory in the 2018 Russian election. He can also expect a dominant result in 2024.
© OLEKSII FILIPPOV/AFP
Russia election also takes place in occupied parts of Ukraine
The presidential election begins on Friday (March 15) but not only in Russia.
People in the occupied territories of Ukraine should also confirm Vladimir Putin in office.
Around 4.5 million people are called to vote there.
In addition, around two million people abroad can take part in the Russian election.
The polling stations close on Sunday at 7 p.m. German time.
A result is announced in the hours afterwards.
(dil)