Long lines of Russian voters were seen outside polling stations in major cities during the presidential election on Sunday. Many voters stated that they were responding to a call by opposition leaders to protest the election process, which is expected to secure Vladimir V. Putin’s continued hold on power.
Prior to his death last month, opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny had urged supporters to go to the polls at midday on Sunday, the final day of the three-day voting period, to show their dissatisfaction with Putin’s impending fifth presidential term in an election lacking genuine competition.
Navalny’s team and other opposition groups had been calling for the protest leading up to the election, highlighting the Noon Against Putin initiative as a safe way to voice discontent in a country that has increased repression since its invasion of Ukraine.
The opposition leaders emphasized that demonstrating solidarity with like-minded citizens through presence was more important than the actual voting, given the lack of real choices in the election.
Lena, 61, explained that coming to the polling station in Moscow before noon to spoil her ballot was a form of protest because decent people felt like hostages. Another voter, Alissa, 25, expressed her opposition to the war and the importance of connecting with like-minded individuals.
The Noon Against Putin initiative, initially proposed by an exiled former Russian lawmaker, gained traction following Navalny’s death. His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, promoted the initiative as a way to honor his legacy and protest against the government.
Leonid Volkov, one of Navalny’s aides, thanked supporters for participating in the midday protest, emphasizing that Russia is more than just Putin.
Volkov, who hosted a live broadcast of the vote on Navalny’s YouTube channel, wore a sling on his arm after being attacked with a hammer. The midday protest initiative made it challenging to estimate the number of people protesting but highlighted the limited influence of the Russian opposition amidst government repression.
The government threatened to punish disruptions to the vote, leading to the detention of over 70 individuals across Russia for election-related actions, according to the OVD-Info group.
Despite the risks, voters outside a Moscow polling station expressed support for Navalny, believing that the power lies with the Russian people. Kristina, 22, shared a photo of her spoiled ballot with a message in support of Navalny before being briefly detained by authorities.
Long lines were also observed at Russian embassies in countries with significant Russian populations. Overseas, the Noon Against Putin protest was expected to be widespread, as dissident voters faced lower risks compared to those in Russia.
Yulia Navalnaya was seen waiting in line at the Russian Embassy in Berlin, while hundreds of voters queued outside the embassy in Riga, Latvia, despite efforts by local authorities to discourage participation in the elections.
Contributions by Valerie Hopkins, Tomas Dapkus, and Anton Troianovski.
