Early Voting Begins in Russian Presidential Election across Remote Regions and at Sea

Early voting in the Russian presidential election has commenced in various regions across the country.

This service, primarily targeted at citizens residing in remote areas and sailors who will be at sea during the election days, allows eligible individuals to cast their ballots starting today Sunday.

In Kamchatka, Deputy Head of the Regional Election Commission Igor Shamrayev stated that approximately 30,000 people will have the opportunity to vote early.

Early voting in Zaporizhzhia, one of four Ukrainian regions Russia said it would annex in September 2022, began on Sunday, TASS news agency said.

More than 120 polling stations will be opened for sailors and fishermen, including those on submarines operating in the waters of the Kamchatka Peninsula and beyond.

During the 2018 presidential election in Russia, around 180,000 people voted early, with 31,000 casting their votes at sea, according to the Central Election Commission speaking to TASS.

In the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, approximately 4,000 voters from remote and challenging-to-access areas will participate in early voting.

Head of the Regional Election Commission Nikolai Goncharov mentioned that members of local election commissions will reach these areas using helicopters and all-terrain vehicles.

In the Khabarovsk Krai, located in the Russian Far East near the Amur River and bordering the People’s Republic of China, access to many remote residential areas is only feasible by air.

Early voting will also be available for about 12,900 voters in Yakutia, the largest autonomous region in the world, about 15,000 voters in Magadan in the far northeast of Russia, and more than 5,000 voters in the Amur Region in the Russian Far East.

The Russian Federation Council has scheduled the presidential elections for March 17, 2024. The Central Election Commission has determined that voting will take place over three days, from March 15 to March 17, marking the first time that presidential elections in Russia will span three days.

Russians are electing the position of president alone; the next legislative elections, which form the make-up of the Duma, are scheduled for 2026.

Source: Agencies (edited by Al-Manar)