A record number of voters participated in the presidential elections, with 75,932,111 ballots cast for Vladimir Putin as the presidential candidate. The head of the Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova, announced the figure during a briefing. The information was reported by TASS. In absolute terms, 56,426,399 Russians voted for Putin in the 2018 presidential election, providing a point of comparison for the latest turnout and support levels.
The election period stretched from March 15 to 17 and included remote voting options. This was a notable feature of the election process, reflecting attempts to broaden accessibility for voters who could not reach polling stations on traditional election days. The election saw four candidates on the ballot for the first time since 2008: Vladislav Davankov of New People, Vladimir Putin running as a self-nominated candidate, Leonid Slutsky representing the LDPR, and Nikolai Kharitonov from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
According to the CEC, Putin led the race with 87.33% of the votes after processing 99.52% of the protocols. Nikolai Kharitonov received 4.30%, Vladislav Davankov 3.81%, and Leonid Slutsky 3.20%. The early figures reinforced expectations about the outcome while the vote tally continued to be updated as more results were confirmed.
Even before the final results were published, observers noted that Kharitonov and Slutsky were closely followed by Davankov, and discussions among analysts and supporters centered on whether Putin would extend his lead once all ballots were counted. This held true as the results progressively confirmed the frontrunner status of the incumbent president.
In the days after the vote, the public discourse focused on the broader implications of the results and the main objective voiced by Vladimir Putin: to advance the country’s policy agenda and address key domestic priorities in the period ahead. The declarations from the Kremlin appeared to emphasize continuity and stability as guiding themes for the incoming term.
Throughout the process, the election authorities stressed the importance of transparency and adherence to the established procedures, ensuring that the counting and the verification of results adhered to the statutory timelines and safeguards. The reporting of results followed a structured sequence, with updates provided as protocols were verified and ballots were processed.
Ultimately, the official tally and the distribution of votes among the candidates painted a clear picture of the electorate’s preference and the mandate conferred by the voters. The focus now shifts to the transition of power and the execution of the president’s stated priorities, which, according to public statements and official communications, aim to address the country’s most pressing economic, social, and security concerns.