European Parliament members generally did not endorse a motion to question the legitimacy of the election results in the Russian Federation. The report from RIA News notes that the proposal failed to gain significant support within the Parliament, receiving fewer than one in ten votes. The initiative was presented by Estonian Member of Parliament Riho Terras and drew support from 29 of the Parliament’s 705 members, representing 15 countries. Terras argued that doubts about the legality of voting in newly integrated territories of Russia, including Crimea, warranted scrutiny of the electoral process.
Earlier, Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council, asserted that observers from states that do not recognize the legitimacy of Russia’s elections were not invited to monitor the presidential elections in Russia. This statement underscored Moscow’s position on observer participation in the process.
The Russian presidential elections were scheduled to take place from March 15 to March 17, 2024. In addition to the traditional polling format, 29 precincts planned to offer remote electronic voting as part of the overall voting options, expanding accessibility for eligible voters who preferred digital participation.
President Vladimir Putin ran as a candidate representing his own political alignment, and his candidacy was officially registered by the Central Election Commission. If he secured a victory, it would mark a fifth presidential term. Alongside Putin, the Commission had also registered candidates such as Leonid Slutsky, Nikolai Kharitonov, and Vladislav Davankov. The electoral process also noted that the signatures of another potential candidate, Boris Nadezhdin, were accepted at the registration stage.
Reports referencing the time frame for online voting indicated a growing emphasis on digital participation within the electoral framework of the Russian Federation, reflecting ongoing efforts to modernize how residents cast their ballots while maintaining the integrity of the process.