[Regnum] The presidential elections of the Russian Federation will take place on March 17, 2024. The corresponding resolution was adopted by the Federation Council on December 7.
“Schedule the presidential elections of the Russian Federation for March 17, 2024. This resolution comes into force on the day of its official publication,” the text of the resolution says.
On December 8, at a meeting of the Central Election Commission, a draft resolution on three-day voting in the presidential elections (March 15–17) will be considered, said the head of the Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova , noting that she is in favor of this form of voting, since it expands the electoral opportunities of citizens.
ELECTIONS AS A GUARANTOR OF THE STRENGTHENING OF RUSSIA
A well-conducted presidential election will guarantee the strengthening of Russia, Pamfilova said. She thanked the members of the Federation Council for adopting the resolution calling the elections and for providing the necessary legislative framework.
The Russian electoral system has a powerful reserve of strength in order to organize and conduct elections exactly as the people demand and expect, Pamfilova also said.
START OF THE CAMPAIGN
The adoption of a resolution on the date of presidential elections is the start of the election campaign, noted in turn Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko . The results of these elections will determine whether Russia will be able to successfully respond to new challenges, and the future vector of the country’s development will also depend on their results, the Federation Council speaker added.
President Vladimir Putin has not yet made any statements about participating in the presidential elections in 2024; it is necessary to be patient on this issue, the Russian leader’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters on December 7, answering a corresponding question .
NEW REGIONS AND FOREIGN SITES
The question of whether elections will be held in new regions of the country will be decided before December 12 after consultations with law enforcement agencies, Pamfilova said. A similar procedure was in effect during the preparation for the Unified Voting Day 2023, she recalled.
Presidential elections in new regions of Russia will be held within the time frame established by law and decisions of election commissions, suggested the first deputy head of the United Russia faction in the State Duma, Dmitry Vyatkin , in a conversation with journalists . Previous votes have shown that it is quite possible to provide the necessary security measures, he said.
As for voting in presidential elections abroad, especially in countries where the work of Russian diplomatic missions is obstructed, this issue will be discussed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pamfilova noted. In any case, remote electronic voting will not be used at such polling stations, she noted.
WESTERN PROVOCATIONS
The West is going to disrupt the Russian presidential elections in 2024, Pamfilova noted in September 2023. Centers located in Poland and the Baltic countries were also involved in illegal activities, she said. The Central Election Commission is already preparing for the presidential elections, it is expected that the turnout will be high and the commission will do everything to ensure that the elections of the head of state are held with dignity, Pamfilova added.
For the first time, Russian presidential elections will be held in such a “toxic” geopolitical environment, Pamfilova noted on December 7. Biased foreign organizations will certainly try to discredit these elections, and the state’s task is to prevent provocations and mistakes during their conduct, Matvienko said in turn.
Russia’s foreign policy opponents will certainly try to interfere in the conduct of the elections, noted Dmitry Egorchenkov, director of the Institute of Strategic Studies and Forecasts of the RUDN University, in a conversation with IA Regnum . We should expect attempts at information pressure, promoting socially significant topics from migrants to ethno-confessional stability, the expert believes. Russia understands well what the challenges will be and is ready to deal with them, Egorchenkov added.
More from Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
In totalitarian Russia, elections will be held during the war. And in a democratic Ukraine, elections will not take place during a war. Be careful not to get confused.
Regarding the results, no intrigue is expected. Putin will gain 70-75% (if there are no hellish force majeures like last year’s collapse of the front near Balakleya or economic shocks), 2nd place Zyuganov with the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, for 3-4 place there is a deep struggle.