As Russians head to the polls in their country's presidential election, there is only one expected outcome.
With Alexei Navalny died in unexplained circumstances and opposition candidate Boris Nadezhdin. prohibited from runningThere is no one left who will seriously impede his rule for another six years. Vladimir Putin.
Nevertheless, this election will be closely watched by those seeking insight into Russia's political machinations and the opinions of broader Russian society as a whole.
So what should we expect from Russia's voting day and what does it mean for Russia's war? ukraine?
Sky News looks at some of the key questions that remain.
When is the election?
Most voting will take place at Russia Voting will take place over three days from March 15th to 17th in the annexed regions of Ukraine, although advance voting will be held in some regions.
Russia is a vast country with 11 time zones and vast stretches of sparsely populated and remote areas.
It is so large that election officials are using helicopters to access remote areas in Siberia to set up pop-up voting stations.
Exit polls are expected to be released within hours of voting ending, with official results to be announced a few days later.
It is the first time that multi-day voting has been used in a Russian presidential election, and the first time that voters can cast their votes online.
In 2021, opposition forces said there were signs of manipulation in digital voting in the country's parliamentary elections.
The vast majority of independent media outlets in Russia are banned, and anyone found guilty of spreading what the government deems “deliberately false information” about the country's invasion of Ukraine faces up to 15 years in prison. possible punishment.
What happened in the last election?
Russian presidential elections have followed a familiar pattern for the past two decades or so.
In the 2018 presidential election, Communist Party runner-up Pavel Grudinin won 11.8% of the vote, while Putin received 76.7%.
2018: CCTV shows alleged election fraud in Russia
At that time, Alleged forced voting and election fraud Video released by anti-government groups showed ballot boxes being stuffed.
Putin has previously won elections in 2012 (64.35% of the vote), 2004 (71.91%) and 2000 (53.44%).
In 2008, he was prevented from running for a third consecutive term as president and was appointed prime minister by Dmitry Medvedev.
How did President Putin stay in power for so long?
What does Russia's election campaign look like?
Unlike Britain, where the prime minister is chosen by political party, Russia's president is directly elected by popular vote. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, a second round will be held three weeks later between the two most popular candidates.
Candidate registration is typically completed by February of an election year, and campaigning takes place in February and March leading up to Election Day.
President Putin welcomed by Russian grandmothers
In past years, televised debates have been held between some of the presidential candidates. In a particularly lively debate in 2018, Ksenia Sobchak threw water at rival Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who reacted furiously.
Mr. Putin did not attend that debate and has ruled out attending this year's debate, but he has not been particularly busy campaigning, presumably because he is predicated on winning.
Who are this year's candidates?
The most likely candidate is Putin, the 71-year-old incumbent who has virtually ruled the top of Russian politics since 1999, although there are some differences.
The Kremlin chief amended the constitution in order to run again after being in power for a long time. He can seek two more terms after 2024.
He faces three token candidates, none of whom are criticizing him.
They include Nikolai Kharitonov of the Communist Party, Leonid Slutsky of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party, and Vladislav Davankov of the New People's Party.
They broadly support the Kremlin and its policies, including the invasion of Ukraine. Past elections have shown that such candidates are unlikely to win enough votes to mount a serious challenge.
Did Putin plan a victory party?
There have been no announcements by Mr. Putin's team about any special events to celebrate his expected election victory, which may not take place until after the vote.
In 2018, he celebrated his victory with supporters in sub-zero temperatures on Manezhnaya Square near the Kremlin in Moscow, thanking them and joining them in chanting “Russia!”
However, it is believed that a rally is planned for March 18 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea.
What about Boris Nadezhdin?
Boris Nadezhdin is One of the most prominent anti-war activists in Russia.after Navalny's death.
After conducting an efficient campaign to collect the signatures needed to run in the election, he was barred from running by the country's election commission.
read more:
Navalny's allies attack him with a hammer in front of his home
Poisoning and plane crash – what happened to Putin's most vocal critics
Nadezhdin, 60, called for an end to the war in Ukraine and urged Russia to start dialogue with Western countries.
On March 4, he vowed to continue challenging his removal from the ballot, even though he acknowledged there was “zero” chance of it appearing on the ballot.
He has used the lengthy appeals process to portray himself as a combatant who intends to play a role in Russian politics in the future.
What does Russia's election mean for the Ukraine war?
Many commentators, as well as Russia's largely dispersed opposition, have described the election as a referendum on the Ukraine war.
Abbas Galiyamov, a political analyst who once served as Putin's speechwriter, said the current vote “will replace multiple choices with a simple dichotomy of 'Are you for Putin or against him?'” Deaf,” he said. There will be a referendum on the issue of war, and a vote for Putin will be a vote for war. ”
Opposition parties see the vote as an opportunity to demonstrate the extent of their dissatisfaction with Mr. Putin and the war.
Will there be protests?
In recent years, demonstrating against the government in Russia has become increasingly risky, with people who take to the streets often being arrested and imprisoned.
Shortly before his death, Navalny called on voters to go to the polls at noon on March 17 and form long lines in protest.
In response, the Kremlin warned that those who responded to the call would face legal liability.
Although I was worried about being arrested, Tens of thousands of people gathered in Moscow for Navalny's funeral.the crowd applauded and shouted his name.
Since then, thousands of people have continued to lay flowers at his grave.
