MOSCOW, March 21. /TASS/. A large number of invalid ballots were detected in Poland and other countries where Russian defectors are staying, Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova said.
"We observed a large percentage of invalid ballots, for example, in Poland, where the number of them was up to a third of the total number. That is, we analyzed the situation, and where the largest concentration of expats was <...> there were the largest number of invalid ballots," Pamfilova said.
"Despite all this Western propaganda and [the propaganda of] the remnants of the radical anti-Russian pro-Western opposition, which has escaped now and has been preparing to do us a lot of harm and will continue to do so - they have already started acting, carrying out their purpose," Pamfilova said.
The CEC head said that taking into account the fact that usually most voters cast their ballots during lunchtime, these persons scheduled their rally at noon in order to demonstrate to foreign countries that "all these huge queues are their contingent."
Voting in the Russian presidential election took place over three days on March 15-17. Incumbent President Vladimir Putin garnered 87.28% of the vote, according to data from the CEC. The turnout of 77.44% was the highest ever in Russia’s modern history.