Russia's Central Election Commission estimates that 72.14 percent of voters approve of amendments to the constitution, with 20 percent of ballots counted, Sputnik reports.
Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) head Ella Pamfilova said on Wednesday that, according to the preliminary data, almost 65 percent of Russian citizens cast their ballots in the vote on constitutional amendments.
"According to our preliminary data, the turnout was 65 percent of the voting participants included in the list," Pamfilova said.
The CEC chairwoman noted that the extremely low number of violations were detected in the course of the vote, adding that the online format of voting that was available in Moscow and the Nizhny Novogorod Region proved to be popular among their residents.
Pamfilova also said that Russia's CEC would take all necessary measures to crack down double voting attempts.
The turnout includes the votes cast from June 25 until polls close at 8:00 p.m. local time.
Earlier in the day, Chief of Main Directorate for Political-Military Affairs of the Russian Armed Forces Andrey Kartapolov stated that over 99 percent of Russian military servicemen participated in voting on the amendments.
"In the Armed Forces, the all-Russian vote on the constitutional amendments proposed by the president [Vladimir Putin] is almost over by now. We, as usual, actively participated in the voting … more than 1.5 million people voted. The turnout is 99,991 percent, according to our estimates," Kartapolov told reporters.
Commenting on the voting, Helene Laporte, a European Parliament member who observed the process, stated that it complies with all democratic and sanitary standards.
"The second round of municipal elections just ended in France, and, comparing these elections, I can say that the voting here [in Russia] meets all the democratic requirements ... The right to vote has been granted to absolutely everyone, even disabled persons and those who cannot get to a polling place can vote at home," Laporte said at a briefing at Russia’s Civic Chamber.
