BARNAUL, Russia - Russians voted on Sunday in a parliamentary election widely viewed as a referendum on President Vladimir Putin and overshadowed by opposition accusations that pro-Kremlin forces enjoy an unfair advantage.
Pollsters say Putin's United Russia party will win an overwhelming victory and secure more than 60 percent of seats. More than 100 million Russians are eligible to vote in the election, being held in sub-zero winter temperatures.
The predictability of the result and lack of debate on key issues have led to apathy among voters, prompting an official drive to increase the turnout.
"I voted for Putin," 68-year-old pensioner Valentin Nenashev said after casting the first ballot at polling station No. 130 in Vladivostok, Russia's gateway to the Pacific and a naval base. "I voted for a better life, for stability."
Putin, 55, is by far Russia's most popular politician after presiding over eight years of an economic boom. He aims to retain influence after stepping down as president in early 2008 and says a strong mandate from voters will give him that right.
The first of about 96,000 polling stations across the sprawling nation opened in the northeastern province of Chukotka facing Alaska. Nine hours later, at 8 a.m. (5 a.m. British time), voters began turning out in the capital Moscow.
With three hours of voting to go in Russia's easternmost regions, turnout was 73 percent in Chukotka, well up on the 2003 election, and slightly higher in Kamchatka at 47 percent, election officials told a briefing.
"Voter activity is higher in all regions of Russia than it was in the 2003 election," Central Election Commission Chairman Vladimir Churov said. Two hours after voting opened in Moscow, national turnout was 5 percent.
"I'm voting for United Russia. They'll give political stability," said Vladimir Minayov, who was among 30 voters to turn out in the first hour at Moscow's School No. 1529, where over 1,000 voters were registered.
Another man said he had voted for liberal opposition party Yabloko and a woman for the Communists -- although she would have cast her vote "against all" candidates had that option not been removed from the ballot for this election.
