MOSCOW, March 15. /TASS/. Nearly 2.6 mln citizens across Russia cast their ballots in the Russian presidential election during the designated early voting period from February 25 through March 14, Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova said.

"Across the country as a whole, almost 2.6 mln people took advantage of the opportunity to vote early. I have already explained what generates such high figures; it stems from the situation that people in the Donbass, Novorossiya and adjacent regions are going through," Pamfilova said.

Speaking about Russia’s new regions, Pamfilova clarified that as many as 1,171,849 voters cast early ballots in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). As for the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), the relevant figure stands at 326,379, and in the Kherson Region it was 280,566. "Since February 25, servicemen had been voting [in the DPR], while all other citizens [voted early] from March 10 to 14. We’re talking about construction workers, doctors, engineers, and all other people living there. As for the LPR, servicemen were voting there since February 25 as well," Pamfilova emphasized.

The Russian Federation Council, or upper house of parliament, officially designated March 17, 2024 as the date of the presidential election. The CEC then announced that the regular voting period will cover three days from March 15 through 17. Four candidates are vying 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.