Russia: Russians vote in presidential election March 18 /update 1

Event

Russians have headed to the polls on Sunday, March 18 to vote in the presidential election. Increased security measures and disruptions are expected on Sunday. Voting started at 08:00 (local time) Sunday in Chukotka and Kamchatka regions, and will conclude at 20:00 in Kaliningrad. So far, the vote has been held without incident, though an independent Russian election monitoring group has warned that independent observers may be targeted.

Context

Putin is running for his fourth term as president. He faces little opposition in the upcoming election as Navalny has been barred from running due to previous arrests. Navalny has organized a series of protests against the election in recent months.

Advice

Individuals in Russia are advised to avoid any potential protests as a precaution, as well as polling stations on election day, and to be prepared for transportation disruptions.