Russia Begins Seven Days Of Voting On Referendum That Could Extend Putin's Rule

Russians have begun casting ballots on a constitutional-reform referendum that could pave the way for an extension of President Vladimir Putin’s rule by 12 years.

Voting stations opened on June 25 in all 14 administrative regions of Russia’s Far Eastern federal district, regional election commissions and administrative bodies said, according to TASS. It is the first day of a seven-day voting period on the measure.​

The opening of polling stations for a week is aimed at helping avoid crowds on July 1, the day designated for the nationwide vote, as the country continues grappling with the coronavirus pandemic.

The vote has raised concerns among health officials as the number of new confirmed infections remains stubbornly high at above 7,000 a day.

The vote already had to be postponed from its originally scheduled date of April 22 due to the pandemic. Early voting has been allowed since June 10 for people who don’t have access to polling stations.

Putin announced early this month that the vote would be held July 1 on constitutional amendments that among other things would allow him to remain in power until 2036.

Ella Pamfilova, the chairwoman of the Central Election Committee, said the same day that the voting will start seven days prior to the official date in order to avoid large crowds — a precaution to prevent the spread of the virus.

The Kremlin has dismissed the concerns, saying that Russia has been able to slow down the spread of the coronavirus and it has assured people that all the necessary measures will be taken to ensure the safety of the voters.

Putin proposed the sweeping constitutional reform earlier this year and insisted on putting it to a nationwide vote even though it was not required by law.

WATCH: Voting Skulduggery? Graveyard Protest Highlights COVID-19 Fears Ahead Of Russian Balloting

Final approval of the changes will come if more than half of the country’s voters support them in the nationwide vote. The constitutional changes are expected to be approved, meaning Putin would be able to run for two more back-to-back six-year terms after his current one expires in 2024.

Putin hosted a Victory Day military parade in Moscow on June 24 commemorating the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. The parade is traditionally held on May 9, but it too had to be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Russia has reported more than 600,000 coronavirus infections, giving it the third-highest number in the world, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Deaths stand at more than 8,500, but real numbers are believed to be much higher.

During the Victory Day parade, the Kremlin limited access in Red Square to the area where Putin sat along with foreign leaders and World War II veterans of Soviet forces.

Those veterans had been under quarantine ahead of the parade. The same was true of soldiers taking part in the parade.

With reporting by Reuters and TASS