Residents of the Siberian city of Omsk cast their votes in an early mayoral election Sunday that showed a remarkably low turnout.
As of 6 p.m., only 15.21 percent of registered voters had taken part in the election, United Russia said on its website. Turnout in the last election, in 2010, was 36.1 percent, and in 2005 — 33.57 percent.
No minimum turnout is required to validate the election, but a higher turnout would give legitimacy to the next mayor.
The low turnout can be partly explained by the summer season, when many residents of the resources-rich region's capital go to their dachas for the weekend.
Seven people were running for the post, including United Russia's Vyacheslav Dvorakovsky, Communist Party candidate Viktor Zharkov, Yan Zelinsky of the Liberal Democratic Party, Just Russia's Irina Averina and Alexander Korotkov, Yabloko's candidate and a former governor of the region.
The other two were independent candidates: Igor Antropov, director of the Mikroklimatservis enterprise, and Sergei Maslenkov, an unemployed man.
Omsk Mayor Viktor Shreider, a United Russia member, resigned earlier this year after he was elected to the State Duma in the December vote.
Moscow-based blogger and photographer Ilya Varlamov also considered campaigning but failed to get enough signatures to register.
United Russia collected less than 40 percent of the Omsk vote in December's Duma elections, one of the lowest among the regions, and less than the Communist Party.
The poor showing led to the ouster of Yeltsin-era Governor Leonid Polezhayev.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
