Putin wins Russia’s presidential election with landslide, getting about 88% of vote
As counting ballots in Russia’s presidential election continues, exit polls show that Vladimir Putin has won with a landslide, getting about 88 percent of the total vote to head for another six-year term in office.
The early results released on Sunday showed that Putin has won 87.8 percent of the vote, which is the highest ever result in Russia's post-Soviet history.
Hours later, the head of country's Central Election Commission Ella Pamfilova said at a briefing that Putin has won 87.97 percent of the vote with 24.4 percent of the precincts counted, while none of the other candidates reached even 5 percent.
Communist Party’s candidate Nikolai Kharitonov came in second with just under 4 percent of the vote, while Vladislav Davankov ended up third, and ultra-nationalist Leonid Slutsky fourth.
Russia's eighth presidential election began on Friday and continued until Sunday.
In an early Monday morning press conference at his campaign headquarters in Moscow, Putin thanked Russians who had voted, saying that the result of the presidential election would allow Russian society to consolidate and become stronger.
He added that his victory in Russian presidential election showed Russians had trust in his leadership.
"I want to thank all of you and all citizens of the country for your support and this trust," Putin said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin thanks people of the country for turning up at polls, and also putting trust in him to be in power for more 6 years. pic.twitter.com/vm4HLzzLKp
— PressTV Extra (@PresstvExtra) March 17, 2024
Russia’s former president, Dmitry Medvedev, congratulated Putin on his victory in the country's presidential election.
"I congratulate Vladimir Putin on his splendid victory in the election," Medvedev said on Telegram.
According to election officials, nationwide turnout stood at 74.22 percent at 1800 GMT when polls closed, surpassing 2018 levels of 67.5 percent.
Early voting for the presidential election began on February 25 when voters in remote, hard-to-reach areas, polar regions, overseas vessels, and border outposts cast their ballots. Russian citizens living abroad started their early voting on March 1.
The election introduced remote online voting in several regions for the first time.
Under Russia's presidential election law, the president, who serves as the head of state, is elected directly by the populace for a six-year term.
Eligible presidential candidates must be citizens of the Russian Federation who are at least 35 years old, have resided in Russia for more than 25 years, and have never held citizenship of another country.
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