KALININGRAD, March 17. /TASS/. Polling stations closed in Russia’s westernmost Kaliningrad Region at 8:00 p.m. local time (6:00 p.m. GMT), marking the end of voting across the country.

"All the 563 permanent polling stations and six temporary ones closed in the region at 8:00 p.m. local time. Five polling stations set up on the border with Lithuania and Poland have also closed. Ballot count has begun," the regional election commission said.

As of 3:00 p.m. local time, regional voter turnout stood at 62.07%. As many as 61,579 voters cast their ballots through the remote e-voting system, which accounts for 91% of registered online voters.

According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), the total voter turnout stood at 73.33% as of 8:00 p.m. Moscow time (5:00p.m. GMT) on March 17. Ballot count has now begun across the country.

The Russian presidential election took place over three days on March 15, 16 and 17. Four candidates are vying for the top office, namely Vladislav Davankov (nominated by the New People party), Nikolay Kharitonov (nominated by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, or CPRF), Vladimir Putin (self-nominee), and Leonid Slutsky (nominated by the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, or LDPR).