Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has confirmed that next year’s presidential election will be held over three days for the first time, taking place from 15 to 17 March.
“Voting over three days is becoming a tradition within our electoral system. Most voters have come to like the format. … 74% of Russians see the convenience of voting over three days,” said Ella Pamfilova, chair of the CEC.
On Thursday, the upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council, set the date for next year’s presidential election on March 17. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to announce his intention to run for president again during the Direct Line phone-in event, which is due to be held on 14 December.
On Wednesday, self-declared presidential candidate Yekaterina Duntsova reported her bank had blocked donations to her campaign from supporters. She said that VTB Bank had made the move within three minutes of her requesting financial assistance to hold meetings with potential voters in the cities of Tver, St. Petersburg and Moscow.
