Russian Expats in Belgrade Queue to Vote in Parliamentary Election

Dozens of Russian expatriates queued outside a Russian school in western Belgrade on Sunday to cast their ballots in Russia's parliamentary election, the final day of a vote spread across three days.

Those waiting in line carried Russian passports as they filed toward the polling station. Several voters who spoke while queuing said they held little hope that the election would produce meaningful change.

"Nothing special I think, like it's just another time we're going to elections, thinking we do something, and hoping it will do something," said Ivan Molokin, a Russian citizen. "I'm not hoping about it (that it) will change something because elections are not real in Russia, unfortunately."

Polina Mikhailova, another Russian voter, said the experience of standing in line mattered more to her than the outcome. "Well, I'm not expect quite much, so I'd like to meet some new people in this line, so the line is more important, of (than) this election for me here."

Loren Pei described the exercise as an "acclamation procedure" rather than a genuinely contested vote. "Not too much (expectations), as many have already mentioned, it's not about the elections but some kind of acclamation procedure, like electoral procedure, like electoral event, and expectations are pretty low to be honest."

The election features virtually no opposition to President Vladimir Putin's party and is all but certain to secure the Kremlin's political dominance. Russians began three days of voting on Friday in the country's first wartime parliamentary election.

Authorities stretched the voting over the weekend, ending on Sunday, in an effort to lift turnout among the 111 million eligible voters, and also permitted electronic balloting.

The main Kremlin party, United Russia, is all but assured of retaining its overwhelming control of the lower house, the State Duma. Several smaller parties of the "systemic opposition," which vote in step with the government on all key issues, are also expected to keep their presence.

Voters cast two separate ballots, filling half of the Duma's 450 seats by selecting political parties listed on the ballot. The remaining seats are contested in single-seat constituencies, where voters choose individual candidates.