Russia polls have opened for vote on extending Putin’s rule to 2026

MOSCOW — Polls opened in Russia on Thursday for a weeklong vote on constitutional changes that would allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036.

The vote on a slew of constitutional amendments, proposed by Putin in January, was initially scheduled for April 22, but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was later rescheduled for July 1, with polling stations opening a week earlier and staying open for seven days to prevent crowds on the main voting day.

The proposed amendments include a change in the Russian Constitution that would allow the 67-year-old Putin, who has ruled Russia for over two decades, to run for two more six-year terms after his current one expires in 2024.

Other proposed changes talk about improving social benefits, define marriage as a union of a man and a woman, and redistribute executive powers within the government, strengthening the presidency.

The proposed amendments already were approved by both houses of parliament and the country’s constitutional Court, and signed into law by Putin. He insisted they be put to voters even though it was not legally required, a move many see as an effort to put a veneer of democracy on the controversial changes.

Holding the plebiscite in the middle of a pandemic has elicited public health concerns. Russia is still reporting over 7,000 new confirmed virus cases a day and has the world’s third-highest caseload with 613,000 confirmed cases in all.

The Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed the safety concerns, saying that Russia was able to slow its outbreak and assuring people that the additional voting days, outdoor polling stations and other measures are in place to protect voters

Critics said they feared the new procedures would hinder independent monitoring of the plebiscite and create opportunities for manipulation and fraud.