Moscow’s Central Election Commission on Friday ruled that next year’s presidential election will last three days, a first for Russia, as the Kremlin wants Vladimir Putin re-elected with a record majority.

“I am putting to the vote the draft resolution on the organization of voting in the presidential elections of the Russian Federation, scheduled for March 17, 2024, for a period of three days,” Ella Pamfilova, the head of the election commission, said. at the meeting where the relevant decision was made, reports TASS.

Although Russia has never held a three-day presidential election before, Pamfilova said before the meeting that a longer vote “is becoming traditional in the Russian Federation” — a possible reference to the 2020 referendum on constitutional changes.

Russians were able to vote in a referendum within a week, allowing Putin to “reset” the number of his presidential terms to stay in power until 2036. The Kremlin leader signed the referendum law a year ago Late.

The decision to hold next year’s presidential election within 3 days came only a day after the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, decided to hold it on March 17 next year.

A resolution adopted by the election commission states that this date will be considered the “main day” of voting, but that polling stations will open on March 15.

The Russian authorities are taking all measures to ensure that Putin gets a record score in the elections

Also on Friday, the election commission in Moscow decided to expand “door-to-door” voting in the presidential elections for four new regions – Bryansk, Kursk, Belgorod regions and Crimea.

“This decision was made in connection with the difficult situation in these regions due to their proximity to the region of the North-Eastern Military District,” – noted the most famous Russian state news agency TASS.

In addition, according to the calendar approved by the election commission, from January 29 to March 11, it will be possible to apply for participation in remote electronic voting. It will work from 08:00 to 20:00 local time in different regions of Russia.

The list of regions where electronic voting will be available has not yet been approved.

Meduza investigative journalists noted at the end of August, citing sources close to the presidential administration in Moscow, that the Kremlin wants Putin to win at least 80% of the vote and a record turnout of 70% in the next election.

Kremlin political scientists have set these bold targets, based on the assumption that weaker results can be seen as Russia’s condemnation of the war in Ukraine.

Although Putin has not officially announced that he is going to run for office, there is no doubt about it, as various “proxies” have already started campaigning for him in Russia.