- Title: Hospital patients vote on reforms that could extend Putin's rule
- Date: 1st July 2020
- Summary: TVER, RUSSIA (JULY 1, 2020) (REUTERS) POLLING OFFICIALS IN PROTECTIVE CLOTHING VISITING PATIENT IN WARD, PATIENT VOTING POLLING OFFICIALS CARRING BALLOT BOX WALKING DOWN CORRIDOR PATIENT WEARING MASK PUTTING BALLOT PAPER IN BOX POLLING OFFICIALS WALKING DOWN CORRIDOR VARIOUS OF PATIENTS WEARING MASKS PUTTING BALLOT PAPER IN BOX WOMAN IN PROTECTIVE CLOTHING APPROACHING REGISTRATION DESK, PUTTING PASSPORT ON TABLE AND SITTING DOWN WOMAN IN PROTECTIVE CLOTHING SIGNING REGISTER, COLLECTING BALLOT PAPER AND WALKING AWAY WOMAN FILLING IN BALLOT PAPER PEOPLE WAITING WOMAN PUTTING BALLOT PAPER IN BALLOT BOX POLLING OFFICIALS IN FULL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING CARRYING BALLOT BOX HEADING OUT
- Embargoed: 15th July 2020 14:06
- Keywords: Russian Consitution Russian president vote vote in hospital
- Location: TVER, RUSSIA
- City: TVER, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001CKZA0JR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Polling officials visited patients at the Regional Clinical Hospital in the Russian city of Tver on Wednesday (July 1) to accept their vote on changes to the Russian Constitution.
Dressed in protective clothing and wearing face visors, the polling officials took a transparent ballot box directly to the bedside of patients in the hospital.
It is the latest in a series of unusual polling stations that have been rolled out all over the country, which also include buses, gazebos and tents.
The constitutional changes could allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036.
State exit polls have suggested the changes will be backed by over two thirds of voters, who have been encouraged to vote with prize draws offering flats and an ad campaign highlighting other amendments designed to appeal to the populace.
Putin, a 67-year-old former KGB officer who has ruled Russia for more than two decades as president or prime minister, made no mention of how the changes could affect his own career in an eve-of-vote speech on Tuesday (June 30).
The amendments would allow him to run for another two six-year, back-to-back stints if he wishes after his current term expires in 2024.
Putin has said he has yet to decide on his future.
(Production: Tatyana Makeyeva, Peter Scott) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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