1.8 million Crimean and Sevastopol voters cast ballots for the first time in Russian presidential election

Crimean voters excitedly go to the polls for the 2018 Russian presidential election. Photo: TASS

In Crimea, there are a total of 1,206 polling stations and 494 counting stations, and 27 local election commissions are all equipped with surveillance cameras.

Crimea's head Sergey Aksenov assessed that for Crimea, the Russian presidential election is as important and affects people's lives as the referendum on the annexation of the Crimean peninsula to Russia, which took place in 2014.

"This is the first time the people of Crimea have been able to vote for the Russian president. Today is a great event for us. Therefore, every voter is aware of their voice, responsibility and civic duty. Using the right to choose the future of great Russia is also determining the future of Crimea" - said Mr. Sergey Aksenov.

In Sevastopol, at 8:00 a.m. on March 18, 182 polling stations opened simultaneously, welcoming 310,000 voters. In 4 districts of Sevastopol, there are 180 permanent polling stations and 2 separate temporary polling stations including the polling station at the city's No. 1 Hospital, and the polling station at the Naval Clinical Hospital of the Black Sea Fleet. In this city, there are 86 polling stations.

As an important political event, the Russian presidential election took place in Crimea and Sevastopol under the supervision of 3,600 observers from France, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Britain, Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Israel and Cyprus.

In addition, to facilitate Russian residents abroad to participate in the election, the Russian Central Election Commission has established 356 polling stations in 90 countries and territories around the world./.