Russian citizens living in the United States will have the opportunity to vote in the upcoming presidential elections, as announced by Russian officials on Wednesday.
Polling stations will be opened at consulates in Washington, New York, and Houston during the March election. Russian Ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, stated, "In the U.S., we plan to open three polling stations: in our embassy in Washington, as well as our consulates in New York and in Houston," according to Agence France-Presse.
This decision marks a change in Moscow's previous hesitancy towards opening polling locations in "unfriendly" countries. The Russian government had expressed concerns about ensuring security in these locations. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had previously stated, "We are asking countries to ensure security."
President Vladimir Putin, who submitted his nomination papers to the Central Election Commission last month, is widely expected to win the March 17 election. As a former intelligence officer, Putin continues to hold overwhelming political power in Russia's government and institutions.
Other candidates approved for the March election include Leonid Slutsky from the Liberal Democratic Party and Vladislav Davankov from the New People Party. Davankov currently serves as the deputy speaker for the State Duma, Russia's lower legislative chamber, while Slutsky is the head of the State Duma's foreign affairs committee. The Russian Communist Party has also registered Nikolai Kharitonov as a candidate.
However, analysts view Kharitonov, Slutsky, and Davankov as mere token opposition candidates, with no real chance of challenging Putin's position. Despite this, not all individuals seeking to run against Putin have been given clearance to stand for election. Yekaterina Duntsova, an independent politician who aimed to end the war with Ukraine, had her candidacy application unanimously rejected by the country's electoral commission due to "numerous violations" in her submitted papers.
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