Russian expatriates living abroad are expressing skepticism and division regarding their country’s upcoming presidential election, with many expressing little faith in the integrity of the electoral process.
While some are preparing to cast their votes as an act of protest, others are opting out entirely, seeing the election as a mere formality to endorse the incumbent regime.
Sergey Kulikov, a lawyer who fled Russia shortly after the Kremlin announced forced conscription and stringent penalties for wartime deserters in September 2022, booked the earliest flight out of the country.
Concerned about the rapid enactment of legislation and the erosion of legal protections, Kulikov now resides in Dubai, and believes voting is “the only available liberal and effective way to express protest both within Russia and from outside the country.”
“When people don’t show up at the ballot stations, it makes the job of falsification and stealing the votes so much easier,” Kulikov told CNN.
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Kulikov’s sentiments echo those of numerous Russian expatriates who have fled their homeland following President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The mass exodus has swelled the population of Russian nationals abroad, many of whom are grappling with their civic responsibilities amidst widespread disillusionment with the political process back home.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced that expatriates, regardless of their departure circumstances, will be permitted to vote in the presidential election scheduled for March 15-17. However, the closure of numerous overseas polling stations compared to previous elections raises questions about accessibility and turnout among expatriate voters.
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Luba Zakharov, a data analyst now residing in Hamburg, Germany, expressed frustration at the lack of viable alternatives among the candidates.
“This election is not about choosing the right candidate. We all understand perfectly well which candidate will be chosen. Most likely I will spoil the ballot,” Zakharov said, meaning she intends to vote for ‘none of the above’ on her ballot.
The sentiment of discontent is further fueled by the exclusion of anti-war candidates critical of Putin’s policies, such as Boris Nadezhdin, whose unexpected popularity posed a challenge to the status quo.
The death of opposition figure Alexey Navalny in prison and the subsequent crackdown on dissent have intensified public scrutiny of the electoral process, prompting some expatriates to view participation as an act of solidarity rather than an endorsement.
