Russians head to polls for Day 2 of election marred by attacks, acts of protest

A young man leaves a voting booth at a polling station in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok, Russia, on March 15, 2024. AP

Voters across Russia cast ballots Saturday on the second day of an election set to formalize six more years of power for President Vladimir Putin, who faces no serious challengers after crushing political dissent over his nearly 25 years of rule.

The election comes against the backdrop of a ruthless crackdown that has stifled independent media and prominent rights groups. Putin’s fiercest political foe, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic prison in February, and other critics are either in jail or in exile.