As of: March 17, 2024, 4:59 p.m
By: Sonja Thomaser
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Press
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Putin's victory in the Russian election is considered likely.
But support is dwindling, as figures from abroad show.
What does that mean for the result?
Moscow – It is almost certain that Russian President Vladimir Putin will win the Russian election due to the lack of serious opponents.
But current figures beyond national borders show that it will probably not be a victory across the board.
And the Russian power apparatus will not like that at all.
Current surveys from abroad and voter turnout figures show that support for the Russian ruler, which was already partly enforced, is dwindling.
Elections in Russia: Support for Putin among Russian voters in Prague in single digits
A post-election survey of Russian voters in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, found that only 4.1 percent of the 1,310 respondents voted for Putin.
66.5 percent said they voted for Vladislav Davankov.
Almost a quarter of voters invalidated their ballot.
It remains uncertain why so many Russians voted for Davankov.
Davankov, who has been deputy head of the Russian parliament since 2021, is considered a loyal supporter of the Kremlin.
However, some opposition members had called for Davankov to be elected because he appears to be more moderate on the issue of the Ukraine war.
In the election: Russia wants to force voter participation
Developments surrounding voter turnout could be far more annoying for Putin.
This is particularly important to Putin and the Kremlin in order to create the appearance of strong support among the population for the incumbent president.
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, speaks as he encourages Russian citizens to vote in the upcoming presidential election.
© Mikhail Metzel/dpa
Putin and the Kremlin had the clear goal of achieving high voter turnout - and to do so by any means: Lev Gudkov, the director of the Levada Center, told
Spiegel
magazine that "blackmail will be used again" in these Russian presidential elections, to increase voter turnout, “according to the motto: If you don’t vote, the school won’t be renovated and gas won’t be delivered.”
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Compulsory voting and propaganda in the Russian election
In Russia, propaganda calling for people to vote was not only present on posters and on state television: in Vladivostok, according to the exile media
Novaya Gazeta Europe,
intercoms on residential buildings also called for people to vote.
Events and concerts are taking place across the country, including the Kazan festival “The Whole Family Goes Voting” on March 17, which was expected to draw 50,000 people.
In addition, Putin's power apparatus increasingly resorted to threats and coercion.
The independent daily newspaper
Moscow Times
reports on students who are forced to vote by the university administration.
Students in Tula should take a photo of their voting card.
Voter turnout in Russia election not as expected
But as the Russian news agency
TASS
currently reports, nationwide voter turnout in the Russian presidential election was only 65.05 percent, according to a live update from the Central Election Commission of Russia at 12:50 p.m.
“[Voter turnout] during the election: 65.05 percent,” says the electoral authority’s information board.
This would mean voter turnout was lower than in 2018, where it was 67.5 percent.
However, the data does not take into account the number of online voters.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin announces different figures.
There they speak of a “record voter turnout” of 70.1 percent, which the Central Election Commission of Russia allegedly determined.
That would be a historic record for presidential elections in Russia.
In the densely populated east of the country, voter turnout is said to have been over 75 percent.
(see above)