Voting begins for Russian presidential election

Voting begins for Russian presidential election

VLADIVOSTOK, March 18, 2018 (Xinhua) -- An election worker stands next to a ballot box at a polling station in Vladivostok, east Russia, March 18, 2018. Russia held presidential election on Sunday. (Xinhua/Denis/IANS)

Moscow, March 18 (IANS) Russians residing in the country's easternmost regions of Kamchatka and Chukotka began casting votes on Sunday to elect the next Russian president.

The polling began at 8 a.m. (Russian time), Xinhua news agency reported. At least 111 million Russian citizens are expected to cast votes to choose the country's president for the next six years, Sputnik reported. The Russian nationals are electing the country's head of the state among eight contenders: Sergey Baburin from the All-People's Union party; Communist Party candidate Pavel Grudinin; incumbent Russian President Vladimir Putin; Civil Initiative party candidate Ksenia Sobchak; Communists of Russia party chairman Maxim Suraykin; Presidential Commissioner for Entrepreneurs' Rights Boris Titov; co-founder of the Yabloko party Grigory Yavlinsky, and head of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia Vladimir Zhirinovsky. The results of the vote will be announced on March 19. --IANS pgh/

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