Lines at some polling stations in Russia grew suddenly at noon Sunday, the time opposition leaders to Vladimir Putin called on voters to deny the Russian leader a fifth term.
The opposition movement is being led by supporters of deceased opposition leader Alexey Navalny.
“This is the first time in my life I have ever seen a queue for elections,” a voter told CNN.
The cable news network on Sunday also showed what appeared to be a voter pour ink into a ballot box, in an apparent attempt to destroy ballots and disrupt the election.
Navalny’s widow, Yulia, has called for “an all-Russian protest action and says her deceased husband called for noon turnout.
Putin’s reelection would extend his rule until at least 2030, and he would be eligible to stay in power until 2036, which would secure his place as Russia’s longest-serving ruler since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.
