This archive report was first published on 2 July 2020.
On July 1, 2020, Russians began voting on a package of constitutional changes proposed by President Vladimir Putin earlier in the year. The reforms included a reset of presidential term limits, allowing Putin to run twice again after his current six-year term ends in 2024.
The Kremlin hailed the vote as a 'triumph,' with presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov describing it as a 'referendum on trust' in the Russian president. Peskov stated, 'Now that Russians have given such support for changes to the constitution, this will all become the foundation for a better future for our country.'
However, the result was seen by many as a foregone conclusion, with copies of the new constitution already on sale in bookshops weeks ahead of the ballot. The isolated and sparsely populated autonomous region of Nenets in the Russian Arctic was the only area to come out against the reforms, with 55.25% of voters opposing the changes.
Leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny condemned the poll, tweeting that it set 'a record in faking votes' and the result had 'nothing in common with people's views.'
The Golos election monitoring group reported over 2,100 complaints of possible election violations, including reports of employees being forced to vote. Election commission chief Ella Pamfilova rebuffed criticisms, stating that 'there is no doubt that the vote is valid and legitimate.'
