The governors explained whether elections are necessary with high support from the authorities

In the gubernatorial elections that took place last week, out of 21 heads and acting heads of regions, only the head of Khakassia, communist Valentin Konovalov, received less than 70%. His result is 63%. The rest of the regional leaders who ran in the elections from United Russia (with the exception of the head of the Oryol region, communist Andrei Klychkov) scored more than 70%.

11 governors and acting governors received from 70% to 80% of the votes – such percentages were for Alexander Moor (Tyumen region, 79.7%), Alexander Gusev (Voronezh region, 77%), Sergei Sobyanin (Moscow, 76%), Vitaly Khotsenko (acting head of the Omsk region, 76%), Viktor Tomenko (Altai Territory, 76%), Aisen Nikolaev (Yakutia, 76%), Andrey Travnikov (Novosibirsk region 76%), Oleg Kozhemyako (Primorye, 73%), Sergei Nosov ( Magadan region, 72%), Vladislav Kuznetsov (acting head of Chukotka, 72%), Mikhail Kotyukov (acting head of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 70%).

And more than 80% for nine governors – Vasily Anokhin (acting head of the Smolensk region, 87%), Mikhail Vedernikov (Pskov region, 86%), Sergei Tsivilev (Kemerovo region, 85%), Andrey Vorobyov (Moscow region, 84%), Dmitry Azarov (Samara region, 84%), Gleb Nikitin (Nizhny Novgorod region, 83%), Stanislav Voskresensky (Ivanovo region, 82%), Vasily Orlov (Amur region, 82%), Andrey Klychkov (Oryol region, 82%).

Vedomosti asked three newly elected voters whether they were interested in participating in elections if the current heads or acting leaders received more than 70% of the votes, and whether it would be worth canceling the elections, given such results.

“Elections are always very important, they are always a challenge. Besides the fact that I myself ran for election to the position of head of the republic, I headed the United Russia list in the elections to the State Assembly and City Duma. I worked on three fronts, there was no need to relax. It’s always very interesting to me, because it’s once again an opportunity to meet people, talk, compare your thoughts with people’s thoughts. I met a huge number of people, it helps me a lot now.

There are different opinions [насчет того, стоит ли отменять губернаторские выборы]. I still believe that as long as it is possible to hold elections, they should be held. We are not in martial law after all. This is not a situation where elections need to be cancelled. We are a truly democratic country.”

“A really large percentage [72%]. And I am very impressed, very grateful to the residents that many people came to vote, because the turnout was 50%. I am pleased that electoral activity was quite high.

Of course it’s interesting [участвовать в выборах]. I constantly communicate with people, and for me this is a response from people who really came and believed in the economic development program that my government colleagues and I prepared. It really was a people’s program because we received more than 6,000 proposals from people. The collection of proposals is still ongoing. It was a direct dialogue, that is, the program was not written from an office, but written together with people.

Suffrage is the constitutional basis for the activities of the state. If there was an incumbent governor and the voting percentage was high enough, this indicates that the governor’s policies are accepted. And I believe that this must be done. People must declare their will. I was elected for the first time, and the support of citizens is very important to me.”

“The activity of residents is determined by various reasons and various factors. It is not for nothing that the electronic voting system is being spread today as the most convenient. This innovation has not yet reached Kolyma, the Magadan region. But I think this is very necessary and important for our region.”

The thing with us is that the quality or selection of personnel has always been a problem. Professional staff is what we lack. And it makes elections less competitive.”