Moscow – Russians across Russia on Friday, March 15, 2024, went to the polls for the presidential elections. Four candidates are vying for the top post: Leonid Slutsky of the Liberal Democratic Party, Nikolai Kharitonov of the Russian Communist Party, Vladislav Davankov of the New People Party and Vladimir Putin, the incumbent president and an independent candidate.

Russia has set up more than 90,000 polling stations operating from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm local time between March 15 and 17.

About 110 million Russian citizens are eligible to vote, including more than 1.8 million in the diaspora, according to figures released by the Russian Central Election Commission.

Foreign (Uganda, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka) observers looking at the ballot paper during their visit at a polling station on day one of voting in Moscow, Russia, on 15 March 2024. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda)

Ella Pamfilva (Central Election Commission Chairperson) told reporters that the legitimacy and transparency of the elections is the key to a stable state order.

“Every citizen is free to choose his future and the future of the nation in the State,” Pamfilva said.

 Hajjat Aisha Lubega, head of the Uganda observer team to the Russian elections and deputy chairperson of the Uganda Electoral Commission, said the election started smoothly, noting that there were options for electronic and manual ballot voting.

She noted that many voters were opting for manual ballot voting.

“People were not complaining at the polling stations; they are so much used to seeing what they are doing and if you are going to go in for technology, where votes are counted by machines, people may not understand easily,” she said, noting that while technology may not be embraced now, it is the future," she said.

Uganda Observer team interacting during their visit at a polling station on day one of voting in Moscow, Russia, on 15 March 2024. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda)

She added that there are also mobile polling units that have also been organised for people who are unable to move to the polling stations like the old.

“At the polling station, there are small boxes, which have seals and you can carry them to houses of the people who are not in position to come for the voting at the polling station,” Lubega said.                                        

Zhang Ming, the secretary-general of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) and head of the observer mission, said all work at polling stations is proceeding according to plan and in an organized manner.

"My task is to notice shortcomings, but to be honest, so far I haven't noticed any issues or problems," he said at a meeting with the co-chairperson of the election headquarters of presidential candidate and incumbent head of state Vladimir Putin, actor Vladimir Mashkov.

Center, Ella Pamfilova, Chairperson, Central Election Commission (CEC) of Russia speaking during a briefing about the standards of election organisations in the Russia Federation at the CEC Information Centre in Moscow, on 15 March 2024. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda)

Zhang said his group had already visited three polling stations and spoken to voters and election commission members.

The Russian Central Election Commission will confirm the election results no later than March 28 and subsequently announce the outcomes within three days of confirmation.

Early voting for the presidential elections began on February 25 where voters in hard-to-reach areas cast their votes. Russian citizens in the diaspora started their early voting on March 1.

A lady casting her vote using electronic voting machine on day one of the presidential election in Moscow, Russia, on 15 March 2024. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda)

Under Russia's presidential election law, the president is elected directly by the populace for a six-year term. Eligible presidential candidates must be Russian citizens who are at least 35 years old, have resided in Russia for more than 25 years, and have never held citizenship of another country.