Thousands of people flocked to polling stations across Russia on Sunday to take part in what the anti-Kremlin opposition said was a peaceful but symbolic political protest against the re-election of President Vladimir Putin. Thus, some decided to cancel their vote by sending all kinds of messages to the Kremlin leader.

Dubbed “noon against Putin,” Russians opposed to the Kremlin leader went to the polls at noon to either cancel their ballots or vote for one of Putin’s three rivals, who is expected to win easily.

The total voter turnout in the presidential elections of Russia, taking into account remote electronic voting, as of 3:45 p.m. Moscow time, was 70.81 percent, Ella Pamfilova, president of the Russian Federation, informed the Central Electoral Commission of the Russian Federation.

Others promised to put the name of the late opposition leader Oleksii Navalny, who died in an Arctic prison last month, on the ballot.

Some even went to the grave of the deceased opponent on Sunday to “vote”, so they put ballots altered with a pen so that Navalny’s name was on the list of candidates with a check mark.

“We choose you,” reads the message written on a piece of paper above the rival’s flower-strewn grave.

At the same time, photos of invalid ballots began to spread on social networks, some of them with real “dedications” to Putin.

Novaya gazeta Europa collected several such photos.

While some invalid ballots are downright “harmless” or funny, such as actor Ryan Gosling being among the candidates, others have “special dedications”.

“Slayer, you will never win. Glory to Ukraine!!! Glory to the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the bulletin says.

“Putin is pathetic and a pathetic coward,” said another invalid ballot.

Another message dedicated to Putin: “We are waiting for you in The Hague!”

In the ballot, the voter asked Putin “when will he die”, “so that no more Ukrainian children are killed”?