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Russia Heads to the Polls for Parliamentary Elections

Sep 18, 2016 - 06:00 pm

A Russian navy serviceman casts his ballot at a polling station during the Russian parliamentary election in Sevastopol, Crimea, Sept. 18, 2016. Pavel Rebrov / Reuters

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev holds his ballot paper at a polling station during the parliamentary elections in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 18, 2016. Ivan Sekretarev / AP

A woman fills her ballot during a visit from a mobile electoral committee. The team visit those who are unable to walk to a polling station in the village of Zebrevitsa, outside Smolensk, western Russia, Sept. 18, 2016. Sergei Grits / AP

Russian servicemen cast their ballots at a polling station during the Russian parliamentary election in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Sept. 18, 2016. Nozim Kalandarov / TASS

A cat walks into a polling station in Ivanovskaya Oblast', Russia, Sept.18, 2016. Vladimir Smirnov / TASS

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, gets his ballot at a polling station during the parliamentary elections in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 18, 2016. Alexei Druzhinin / Sputnik / AP

Leader of the Russian Liberal Democratic Party, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, poses for journalists as he casts his ballots at a polling station during parliamentary elections in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 18, 2016. Ivan Sekretarev / AP

Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov casts his ballot at a polling station during parliamentary elections in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 18, 2016. Pavel Golovkin / AP

A Russian citizen reads his ballot at a polling station during parliamentary elections at the Russian embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, Sept. 18, 2016. Mindaugas Kulbis / AP

Chechen regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov and his mother Aymani dance outside a polling station during parliamentary elections in the Chechen town of Tzentoroi, Russia, Sept. 18, 2016. Musa Sadulayev / AP

Russian opposition figure, former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov casts his ballot at a polling station during parliamentary elections in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 18, 2016. Ivan Sekretarev / AP

People stand outside a polling station in Sukhumi, Abkhazia, Sept. 18, 2016. Artur Lebedev / TASS

Russians went to the polls on Sunday, Sept. 18 to elect their representatives for the nation's lower house of parliament, the State Duma. The elections spread across the country's 11 time zones, including the annexed Crimean peninsula for the first time. Voter turnout was low throughout the day, and polling was marred by reports of ballot stuffing and the illegal use of absentee ballots. The Moscow Times has gathered some of the day's best images.

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