The turnout for remote electronic voting on amendments to the Constitution of Russia reached 75%, RIA Novosti reported, citing data from the headquarters for monitoring the voting.

“As of 20:14 Moscow time on June 27, the turnout was 75.0%. 879,654 ballots were adopted. Less than 72 hours are left until the end of the remote electronic voting, ”the TASS headquarters reported.

Earlier it was reported that a total of 1,190,726 voters were registered for electronic voting.

Recall that the vote on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation began throughout the country on June 25 and will last until July 1. Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod Oblast take part in online voting from June 25 to 30. On the first day, the turnout for remote electronic voting exceeded 48.9%.

The Moscow public headquarters for the control and monitoring of all-Russian voting expect that the total turnout for electronic voting will exceed 90%.

According to the Central Election Commission, published around noon on June 27, the total turnout, including electronic voting, at that time was 19.49%.

“Behind two days of voting. As of the morning of June 27, 21 171 137 citizens voted (including remote voting), the turnout was 19.49%, ”said CEC head Ella Pamfilova at about 12:00 Moscow time.

The main voting day in accordance with the decree of Vladimir Putin is July 1. The counting of votes based on the results of all seven days will begin on July 1 after 20:00 local time.

Without "forced" and "cheating" turnout

Earlier, Vladimir Putin emphasized that the results of the vote on amendments to the Constitution should be reliable, "forcing" and "wrapping up turnout" are unacceptable. The head of state drew attention to this issue at a meeting with the composition of the Public Chamber, which was held via videoconference on June 25.

  • “No coercion should be allowed”: Putin on voting on constitutional amendments

The President pointed out that the most important common task is to ensure that the results of the vote "are absolutely reliable, legitimate."

“No coercion or turnout must be allowed here, not to mention failures in taking into account the votes cast, so that subsequently no one can ever question the position that Russian citizens will express,” Putin said.

The mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, spoke about the importance of following all legal procedures when voting on amendments the day before. 

“My fundamental position is that people should vote voluntarily, no one should force them. We will beat everyone who will force us, ”RIA Novosti quoted Sobyanin as saying.

On June 25, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the head of state can vote on constitutional amendments ahead of schedule in electronic format or July 1 at a polling station. Peskov noted that the Kremlin will inform in advance when the president will vote.

  • Sergei Shoigu voted on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation

On June 27, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu voted; he visited a site in the Moscow Region. 

“I believe that every citizen is obliged to come to the polling stations these days and say his word,” the minister said.

According to him, the amendments, among other things, are aimed at further economic development of Russia, increasing the well-being of people, protecting the rights and freedoms of Russians.

Shoigu also noted the importance of the amendment, which enshrines the protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Russia in the main law of the country.

“Of course, in conditions when such a huge work on demarcating our borders and defining our territory is practically completed, it is, of course, important,” he emphasized.

Attempted intervention

Earlier, the Federation Council announced an attempt by Western countries to intervene in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation, in particular, in the voting process on amendments to the Constitution. This was announced by the chairman of the temporary commission of the Federation Council on the protection of state sovereignty and the prevention of interference in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation, deputy chairman of the Federation Council committee on international affairs Andrei Klimov.Information on this will be sent to the competent authorities.

“Since the middle of January this year, Western countries and their allies, with the leading role of Washington, have been pursuing a deliberate policy of unlawful interference in our constitutional process,” Klimov said.

According to him, one of the objects of external attack was the process of nationwide voting on amendments to the text of the Constitution.

“Instead of a civilized and democratic procedure, when each voter of the country receives the right to express their own attitude by direct voting, we are imposed on a variety of illegal actions. To discredit both the constitutional amendments themselves and the all-Russian voting procedure, media controlled by the West, social networks, as well as various NGOs and activists are used, a considerable part of which constantly interacts with various foreign structures, ”stated Klimov.