MOSCOW, Russia — A steady stream of voters arrived at a polling station in the heart of Russia’s capital on this crisp, sunny Friday morning to cast their votes in a three-day presidential election.
With the winner in no doubt, the Kremlin will instead be looking to turnout as a measure of public support for Vladimir Putin’s extended rule across this vast country.
Muscovites began filing into this school-turned-voting site as soon as the doors opened at 8 a.m. local time (1 a.m. ET). At the entrance stood a large banner emblazoned with the letter “V” in the colors of the Russian flag and stating the dates of this Friday-Sunday election.
Authorities have used the Latin letters “V” and “Z” as unofficial symbols for its war in Ukraine, which has entered its third year with the country’s military advancing on the battlefield.
The Kremlin’s expanded control over Russian life means there is no true opposition to Putin, with the three other men on the ballot representing parties loyal to Putin who only campaigned sparingly.
Still, some voters said they did not need an alternative.
Nina Kisileva, 90, told NBC News as she exited the station that she came out early to vote for another six years of Putin. “Because I trust him. I really trust him,” Kisileva said, adding that she has lived through a slew of Soviet leaders, including Josef Stalin. “I remember when Stalin died, his funeral in 1953, I remember it well. And now I trust only Putin,” she said.
Svetlana Kulikova said she voted at the station electronically, an option for the first time this year.
Like Kisileva, she said she also voted for Putin. “We live well, we are satisfied with everything and, well, we are very satisfied with our president,” Kulikova, 59, said.
Gauging public opinion has become nearly impossible since the beginning of the war, as many people fear speaking out freely amid a crackdown on dissent. But Putin’s approval rating remains high at 86%, according to the independent pollster Levada Center.
There is not much suspense, since two candidates with anti-war views have been barred from running and there is little independent monitoring of the vote process.
But a big turnout would be seen as legitimizing the war and would help to solidify the notion that the country is united around its president, already the longest serving Kremlin leader since Stalin.
On the eve of the election, Putin, 71, appealed to feelings of patriotism and duty in a special video message, as he encouraged people to vote and demonstrate unity.
The country’s opposition, decimated by a crackdown and the death of its leader Alexei Navalny, has been split on how Russians should treat the election. Some have called for a boycott; others have urged people to spoil their ballots or vote for any candidate other than Putin.
Supporters of Navalny have even suggested writing his name into the ballot.
The most likely protest will center on a call for Russians to show up en masse at polling stations at noon on Sunday in all of the country’s 11 time zones, in a silent display of their discontent.
Perhaps most troublesome for the Kremlin, this week has seen a surge in Ukrainian drone attacks across large parts of Russia, and attempts at a land incursion in the two border regions of Belgorod and Kursk that appear to be ongoing after several days of fighting.
The regions’ governors urged people to vote on Friday, but also shared warnings about missile threats and suggested voting electronically if necessary given the potential dangers to people leaving their homes.
This is the first presidential election in which people can vote electronically, raising concerns about falsifications and fraud, which have historically plagued Russian elections. More than 290,000 people in Moscow had already voted electronically in the first hour of the voting on Friday, state news agency Tass reported.
More than 114 million Russians are eligible to vote in the election, including nearly 2 million abroad. For the first time, people in the four occupied regions of Ukraine annexed by Russia will also be included, in violation of international law in a move condemned by Kyiv and its Western allies.
Results are expected to start coming in late Sunday, with a landslide win for Putin expected to be announced on Monday.
Keir Simmons and Natasha Lebedeva reported from Moscow. Yuliya Talmazan reported from London.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
