WEB DESK
Russia is holding elections to the State Duma, the lower house of Parliament from Friday.
The voting will take place till Sunday over a three-day period due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is widely expected that the ruling United Russia party will secure a convincing victory in the elections.
Around 108 million voters in Russia have a right to elect 450 members of the State Duma for a five-year term.
United Russia has been the dominant party in the country for decades and it enthusiastically supports Putin although he has run as an independent candidate since 2018. United Russia currently has a majority with 334 seats.
Half of the Duma’s seats are filled by direct election.