Russia's ruling United Russia Party is targeting Moscow voters in a telephone canvassing campaign, the Kommersant newspaper reported Monday.
Tens of thousands of Muscovites have already received calls urging them to “support the president” during the parliamentary elections on Sept. 18.
Call center employees tell potential voters that “it's very important to support Russia. Do you agree that at this difficult time for our country, we all must vote for United Russia?”
Those who disagree are then asked if they support the policies of President Vladimir Putin.
The campaign is part of a movement to boost United Russia's standing in the capital, where the party has traditionally received less support than in more rural areas. While 40 percent of Russian voters have “positive views” towards United Russia across the county as a whole, that number falls to just 27 percent within Moscow, according to a poll by the Public Opinion Foundation (POF).
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