The aspects of the 2018 Russian presidential election campaign

The research deals with the aspects of the 2018 Russian Presidential Election Campaign and compares it with previous ones. An attempt is made to both identify the novel elements of the last campaign and trace its continuous and traditional nature. For instance, the particular attention of authorities to voter turnout became a distinctive feature of the 2018 Russian Presidential Election Campaign. To this end, absentee ballots were cancelled, and citizens were able to vote at any polling station upon advance online registration. A week and disorganized protest movement was typical for the 2018 election campaign in contrast to the 2012 campaign. It may be influenced by shifting public opinion because of the reunification of Crimea with Russia and the imposition of Western sanctions on the Russian Federation. The research notes that voters regard the 2018 election campaign as a transition to the 2024 election since it is Putin’s final presidential term, and further state development program will be implemented by a new leader of the country.