Russia goes to the polls to elect Vladimir Putin for fourth term

Russians have gone to the polls in presidential elections that can only have one outcome: the re-election of Vladimir Putin to a fourth term in office.

The Kremlin is seeking legitimacy in Sunday’s vote by boosting turnout at the polls, while the opposition has called for a boycott and sent observers across the country to monitor for fraud.

Russians have a choice of eight candidates on Sunday, including the Communist Pavel Grudinin, whose title to a former state fruit farm has made him a millionaire, and Ksenia Sobchak, the daughter of Putin’s political mentor, who has presented a liberal programme. Polls suggest none besides Putin will receive more than 7% of the vote.

Sunday will be the culmination of a broad get-out-the-vote campaign, which has seen enticements from iPhones to ice cream to fight voter apathy. Dozens of local municipalities are holding selfie contests to attract young voters.

At a polling station in central Moscow, there was a festival-like atmosphere. Voters were greeted by singing and dancing teenage girls, while there were sports games for children. Inside the polling station, cutprice fruit, vegetables and tinned fish were on sale. “I voted for Putin, because there is no other real choice,” said Natasha. “Of course, I realise these aren’t real elections, but why change anything. Putin as president suits me just fine.”

The Kremlin is also expected to rely on a deep bench of budzhetniki, millions of workers from state factories to the army to schoolteachers, who receive their salaries from the government.

Government employees, as well as workers as private companies, have reported coming under pressure to vote.

“Colleagues, we ask you all to fulfill your civic duty by 16:30, and also to involve your relatives and friends. We expect vote coordinators to provide information every 90 minutes in order to allow time for reports to be drawn up,” read one email seen by the Guardian.

The Moscow-based company also said it would provide free theatre tickets to any employees who voted, as well as their friends and family. “Please be tactful when speaking to relatives and do not disclose the contents of this message.”

Reports in Russian media and political consultants to the government have said the Kremlin wants at least a turnout of 65% to show Putin has a broad mandate to lead.

“My understanding is that the administration wants to pull, not push, people to these elections,” Valery Fyodorov, the head of a leading state-owned polling agency, VCIOM, told the Guardian during the campaign.

Putin delivered his vote early on Sunday morning at a polling station in central Moscow.

“What percentage of the vote would you consider for yourself successful?” a journalist asked Putin in a sign of the day’s major drama. Putin hesitated for a moment. “Any amount of votes that gives me the right to perform the role of the president.”

The re-election will set Putin up for a fourth term in office ending in 2024, making him the first Kremlin leader to serve two decades as the country’s leader since Stalin.