Russian 2024 presidential election to last three days

Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has officially approved a three-day voting period for the 2024 presidential election, stating that polls will be open from Friday, March 15 through Sunday, March 17. 

The CEC’s decision, which was announced on Friday, marks the first time that the Russian presidential election will take so many days. However, three-day voting has already been used in other elections in Russia, having first been introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.  

CEC chief Ella Pamfilova, who initially suggested prolonging the voting period for the upcoming election, has stated that the new system has become popular among voters, and is slowly becoming a tradition. She has also argued that an extended voting period will help avoid delays and lessen the strain on regional election commissions. 

During Friday’s announcement, the CEC also declared that all pre-election campaigning in the media will take place from February 17 to March 15. 

The official date for next year’s presidential election was announced on Thursday in Russia’s upper house of parliament. Speaker Valentina Matvienko described the upcoming vote as “historic” and crucial to Russia’s successful response to today’s challenges. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far declined to comment on the possibility of running for another term in office. He is currently serving his fourth term after having won the last election in 2018, garnering over 76% of the vote. He also successfully ran in 2000, 2004 and 2012.