A series of sabotage incidents has hit the Russian electoral polls, propelling the government to label it an act of terrorism and prompting law enforcement interference. 

With the kick-off of the Russian elections on Friday, incidents like pouring green dye over ballots and arson washed over polling stations. Law enforcement intervened and captured the offenders, who face up to five years in prison.

Maxim Grigoriev, co-chair of the Coordination Council for Public Control over Voting dubbed the incidents as intimidation tactics to discourage voters from casting their votes, saying “This is not just an attempt to obstruct the elections, but an act of terrorism. I urge law enforcement agencies to approach this with the appropriate article of the criminal code since people could have been injured as a result of these actions.”

Although some ballots had been spoiled in the process, the damage remained minimal and would not affect the final results, Grigoriev assured. 

Read more: SCO: Moscow's invitation to monitor election shows transparency

Friday's vandalism incidents

On Friday, a woman was detained after pouring green dye into a ballot box, and faces criminal charges for obstructing the voting process. Surveillance showed her communicating over the phone while conducting her offense, prompting authorities to believe this was a coordinated crime. 

Another woman was also arrested after she set fire to a voting booth using a Molotov cocktail inside the voting station. 

As a result, Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) demanded more condensed security to avoid the occurrence of similar incidents. 

🔥👀 "Elections" in Russia pic.twitter.com/F399HvhcBB

— MAKS 23 🇺🇦👀 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) March 15, 2024

The chair of the CEC, Ella Pamfilova, speculated that the disruptors were paid to carry out these acts. Detainee testimonies revealed that a few of the offenders were manipulated by scammers saying their bank accounts had been hacked, forcing them to vandalize the polls. 

71% turnout expected

Polling stations have opened across Russia for the 2024 presidential election, with President Vladimir Putin contending against three opponents.

The voting will span three days until Sunday, and this will mark the first Russian presidential election since the 2020 constitutional reform. The reform had imposed a limit of two terms for any president. This also nullified Putin's former terms, enabling him to run again.

In this election, four candidates vie for the six-year presidential term. Putin, running independently, competes against Leonid Slutsky of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR), Nikolay Kharitonov of the Communist Party, and Vladislav Davankov representing the New People party.

Russians in 28 regions can vote online via the country’s electronic system, with Moscow residents exempt from special requests. A high turnout of around 71% is projected, with early voting already underway in remote regions, recording approximately two million ballots cast according to the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTSIOM) pollster.