A university professor in Yekaterinburg was detained for 15 days after attempting to spoil ballot papers, according to TASS and statements from the press service of the Sverdlovsk Regional Court. The individual, born in 1974, was taken from his workplace when he tried to pour green liquid into a ballot box with the aim of rendering ballots invalid. Authorities confirmed that the documents involved did not suffer any damage in the incident.
Earlier, another incident in the Sverdlovsk region involved a young woman who attempted to ignite a fire at a polling station. Local law enforcement responded to the scene, and the case is being reviewed as part of ongoing investigations into election security measures.
During the presidential voting period, Ella Pamfilova, chair of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, noted that there were approximately eight arson attempts at polling stations. These statements came as part of ongoing updates on the security situation surrounding the election process.
For the first time since 2008, the presidential race features four candidates. They are Vladislav Davankov of the New People party, Vladimir Putin running with his own nomination, Leonid Slutsky representing LDPR, and Nikolai Kharitonov from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. The field reflects a broader slate of contenders compared with previous cycles and underscores a varied political landscape ahead of the polls.
Reports from the Far East described high engagement, with about 400 ballot packages tracked and turnout approaching the upper end of the spectrum. Observers noted strong participant interest in the electoral process across the region, signaling a high level of public involvement during the voting period.