Kremlin's ‘ingenious’ tactics to ensure Putin re-election among Russians — a review
Nation15 March 2024, 01:35 PM
Despite the foregone conclusion, the Kremlin spared no effort to ensure high turnout.
The Russian authorities resorted to all sorts of tricks to compel citizens to participate in the three-day spectacle, including remote voting options and even door-to-door ballot collection, supervised by armed individuals wearing masks if necessary.
The Russian authorities opted for bribery of voters as well.
Campaign efforts reached a new low, surpassing even Kremlin's political jester Dmitry Medvedev's performance of the "Putin anthem" with rapper ST.
Advertising for the pseudo-elections took multiple forms.
Some videos warned of dire consequences, implying that failure to vote could result in power shifting to "LGBT movement representatives."
Others exploited Russia’s war against Ukraine, depicting the latter as a nation “devoid of choice” compared to Russia.
Russian propagandists leveraged popular television series like The Boy's Word featuring a clip urging Putin's re-election with the slogan "choose, vote, don't remain a swine."
The most truthful depiction of this charade, however, came from online enthusiasts, whose video succinctly captured Putin's disdain for his fellow citizens and the entire election process.
Russians will be casting their votes amidst not only regular drone attacks on critical infrastructure but also a large-scale raid on Belgorod and Kursk oblasts by pro-Ukrainian units, comprised of Russian citizens.