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Nizhny Novgorod’s acting governor in strong lead after 90% of ballots counted

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, September 15. /ITAR-TASS/. Acting Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Valery Shantsev is leading in the regional gubernatorial election on Sunday with 86% of the votes in his favor after 90% of the ballots were counted, the local election commission said on Monday.

The acting governor, who is a member of the United Russia ruling political party, is followed by Alexander Bochkaroyev (Just Russia) with 5.7% of the vote, Alexander Kurdyumov (LDPR) - 2.4% and Maxim Suraikin (Communists of Russia) 2.1%.

Other candidates running in the election for the post of the governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, in central Russia, received less than one percent of the votes as the ballot count nears its completion.

Elections of various levels were held on Sunday in all Russian regions, except the republic of Ingushetia. Elections were held in two new Russian regions - Crimea and the city of Sevastopol - too.

In all, the country saw about 5,800 election campaigns and local referendums. About 75 million eligible voters have been registered across the country. Thirty Russian regions elected their heads and governors, 14 regions elected legislative assemblies, three administrative centers of Russian regions elected their mayors.

The voter turnout was in general low, but is some regions it exceeded 50%. According to the Central Election Commission, this high turnout was reported from the gubernatorial elections in the Orel, Samara and Tyumen regions, and in elections of heads of the republics of Komi and Kalmykia.

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