NEW YORK, March 13. /TASS/. US authorities have made it clear that they will limit security measures to only the polling stations set up on the premises of Russia’s diplomatic missions, thus preventing the Russian consulate in New York from carrying field voting in US states far away from Russia’s embassy and consulates to enable a greater number of expatriate Russian citizens to cast their ballots in the upcoming presidential election, Russian Consul General in New York Alexander Zakharov said.
"Here at the New York consulate, it is our priority to ensure voter safety. We are in close contact with the US Department of State, its related divisions and the New York Police Department [NYPD]. Formal requests have been filed to ensure security at polling stations. The response was that the US authorities would only ensure security at the polling stations set up at our diplomatic and consular missions, that is, at the embassy in Washington, the consulate in New York and the consulate in Houston," the diplomat told Russian reporters.
The consul general emphasized that Washington’s decision had created a situation where it was difficult to hold field voting. "American officials stressed that beyond those polling stations, it would be the diplomatic missions’ responsibility [to ensure security]. Unfortunately, this is why we are unable to hold field voting. You know that we are restricted to traveling only within a 25-mile radius [of New York City] and since we certainly prioritize security, we decided to go only with the consulate polling station," Zakharov explained.
"Frankly, this is perhaps the first time such a thing has happened, as far as I can remember," he added.
The Russian Federation Council, or upper house of parliament, officially designated March 17, 2024 as the day of the presidential election. The Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) then announced that voting will take place over three days on March 15-17. Four candidates will vie for the top office, namely New People party nominee Vladislav Davankov; self-nominated candidate and incumbent President Vladimir Putin; Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) nominee Leonid Slutsky; and Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) nominee Nikolay Kharitonov.