Russian President Vladimir Putin records resounding victory in presidential polls

President Vladimir Putin has won a resounding victory in his bid to stay in power until the middle of the next decade, as Russians voted overwhelmingly to endorse the country’s political status quo, according to preliminary results.

Russians went to the polls on Wednesday to cast ballots in a nationwide referendum on Constitutional Amendments. The vote paves the way for Putin, who has ruled for two decades, to remain President until 2036.

Russia’s Central Election Commission released a preliminary tally of results as polls closed, after processing 50 per cent of ballots, saying 76.24 per cent of the citizens who voted supported the amendments.