An election recount is underway in a Russian district after President Vladimir Putin failed to secure victory in the recent polls, as per local reports. Notably, one of Putin’s political opponents garnered ten times more votes than him in this particular precinct. The polling station, situated in Barnaul city, Altai’s southern republic, tallied 763 votes for Communist Party candidate Nikolai Kharitonov, compared to a mere 73 for Putin, according to independent Russian news outlet Meduza, citing local sources. In response to the widespread media attention received by these results, the polling station has initiated a recount. Officials attribute the discrepancy to a data entry error, as reported by Meduza. However, Business Insider could not independently verify these reports, and Barnaul’s official website does not acknowledge any errors or recount, instead quoting local officials who praised the elections.
Background and Context
Russia’s recent presidential election, held over the weekend, declared Putin as the overwhelming victor, a result widely regarded as predetermined and lacking legitimacy. Kharitonov, a veteran parliamentarian, was one of three candidates permitted to contest the election by Russia’s Central Elections Commission. Although he, along with other challengers, did not oppose Putin’s military intervention in Ukraine, a stance that led to sanctions against him in the UK and US, Kharitonov managed to secure a significant portion of votes. Notably, Kharitonov also participated in Russia’s 2004 presidential election, garnering 13.7% of the vote, while this time around, he received 4.37% of the overall vote.
Additional Incidents
The recount in Barnaul isn’t the only notable incident related to the recent elections in the city. On March 17, reports surfaced of a resident attempting to tear up the voting roll at another polling station in Barnaul, as per regional outlet Bankfax.
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