Volunteer teams supporting Vladimir Putin’s candidacy have begun a broad process of verifying signatures gathered in his name. The information comes from OE Kutafina Viktor Blazheev, the rector of the Moscow State Law Academy, who serves as a representative for the voter group backing Putin. The source of the update is TASS, the Russian news agency, which has been tracking the activities at the election headquarters and the evolving dynamics of the campaign signature drive.
The nationwide signature collection for Putin’s election bid began on December 23. In this system, self-nominated candidates are required to assemble a total of 300,000 signatures, with a constraint of no more than 7,500 signatures per region. The process culminates in a registration deadline, which is set for January 31 when the collected signatures must be submitted to the Central Election Commission for verification and certification.
Blazheev stressed that the work at the headquarters is proceeding actively. According to his account, signatures have already been received from 45 regions across the country, with several additional regions contributing to the total. He indicated that these petition documents require careful examination, so the headquarters has resumed full-speed operations to ensure all submissions are properly checked, authenticated, and ready for the next procedural stage.
Earlier statements from Natalya Budarina, Secretary of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, indicated that the Commission has documented a roster of 346 proxies who will be authorized to represent Putin in the upcoming presidential elections. This roster reflects the volume of formal backing for the candidate as the electoral process moves forward and campaigns coordinate support across multiple jurisdictions.
Nikolai Kharitonov, who chairs the Far Eastern and Arctic Development Committee of the Russian State Duma and is himself a candidate from the Communist Party during the current contest, remarked that his public stance would refrain from personal criticism aimed at President Vladimir Putin. His comment underscored a focus on policy-oriented discourse and the broader implications of the electoral agenda rather than personal opposition at this stage of the race.
Meanwhile, the Central Election Commission has completed the phase of accepting documents from self-nominated candidates, marking a milestone in the administrative workflow. This formal completion signals a transition into the verification phase, where submitted signatures and related documentation will be audited for authenticity, compliance with guidelines, and eligibility under the electoral framework. The ongoing monitoring of signature integrity remains a key priority for the commission, ensuring that the process adheres to established rules and maintains public confidence in the electoral system. The collaboration between campaign teams, regional offices, and the central authority continues to shape the pace and direction of the petition drive and the eventual candidate qualification decisions.