March 21, 2024

To Vote or Not to Vote?


To Vote or Not to Vote?
A voter in the last Russian presidential election, 2018.  Alexandr Podgorchuk/Klops.ru., Wikimedia Commons. 

The Kremlin pushed hard to increase voter turnout in last weekend's presidential elections, but options for citizens who opposed the current administration were limited. Verstka compiled a list of some modes of participation and protest. 

There were three candidates on the ballot alongside the incumbent president, Vladimir Putin, none of whom were critics of him or his presidency. They included the deputy of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Nikolai Kharitonov; the chairman of the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Leonid Slutsky; and a member of the New People (Novie lyudi) Party, Vladislav Davankov.

Of these, Davankov was the only one who has not spoken in support of the war on Ukraine, which garnered him a fair amount of support. Earlier in March, Davankov polled at 7.4% among prospective voters, a distant second place to Putin's 81.8% support. The fact that Davankov did not openly speak in support of the war does not mean he is meaningfully opposed to it, especially since he has supported several pro-war bills in the Duma. 

Another way voters expressed protest at the polls was to invalidate ballots. A ballot without any candidate chosen will be thrown out, as will a ballot with more than one candidate selected. The number of invalid ballots is counted separately in the final election results, and the percentage can be compared to "uncommitted" votes cast in protest in US Democratic primary voting. 

The "Noon Against Putin" movement called for a more public display of protest: Organizers encouraged voters to arrive at the polls at noon on Sunday, March 17, en masse, to overwhelm polling locations. Protesters filled out their ballots for any candidate besides President Putin, or else wrote in names, such as "Alexei Navalny." 

The final option was to simply boycott the election, out of either dissent or apathy. 

As of late Sunday evening, Putin had been reported as the winner of the presidential race, with 88% of the vote.

 

You Might Also Like

What Russians Want
  • February 05, 2024

What Russians Want

Independent sociologists have sussed out what Russians really want from their government.
New Face at Russia's Helm
  • January 03, 2000

New Face at Russia's Helm

This article was written in early January, 2000, about Russia's new acting president and a man not well know outside Russia.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
The Little Humpbacked Horse

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955