Alwaght- Presidential elections have begun in Russia for the Russians to elect a head of state to run the country for the next 6 years.
It will be the first presidential vote to employ the latest technologies, tested during earlier lower-level polls: a three-day voting period and a remote vote.
For the first time, residents of Donbass and Novorossia will take part, according to Tass news agency.
Polling stations have already opened their doors in Russia’s Far Eastern regions, specifically in the easternmost Kamchatka and Chukotka. Vladimir Solodov, the governor of Kamchatka, became the first regional head to cast his ballot.
Four candidates will compete for the top state post in the 2024 election, the eighth overall in the history of modern Russia. They are Vladislav Davankov (nominated by the New People party), incumbent President Vladimir Putin (self-designated candiate), Leonid Slutsky of the LDPR party and Nikolay Kharitonov (the Communist Party of Russia).
For the first time ever, the presidential election in Russia will continue for three days. According to Russian Central Election Commission Chair Ella Pamfilova, Russians liked this format, because it gives them more opportunity to vote.
So far, Putin has served four terms as Russian President. He was elected Russian President in 2000 and re-elected in 2004, 2012, and 2018, Al Jazeera reported. If he wins, Putin will serve another six years, due to constitutional amendments that have expanded the term. This would mark his fifth term. He can then be re-elected again in 2030 for a sixth term.
