Porridge, motorcycles, apartments... In Russia, the authorities attract voters with gifts

A vote against an iPhone? A motorcycle ? Or even an apartment? This is the strategy launched by local authorities in Russia to encourage the population to vote during this presidential election weekend, reports The Moscow Times. The Kremlin is indeed seeking to achieve historic participation for the expected re-election of Vladimir Putin. In addition to the pressure exerted on public sector employees or on employees of companies linked to the State, the authorities therefore wish to attract voters through the lure of profit.

Residents of the Altai region, in the south of the country, can for example hope to win a state-of-the-art iPhone or hairdressing appliances from the British brand Dyson. To stand a chance of winning one of its generous gifts, residents must take a photo at a polling station before uploading it to a dedicated page. They will then be eligible for the draw.

In Strezhivoy, Tomsk region, authorities have focused more on food. Voters will therefore be offered, during their visit, rolls and porridge. In the Urals, in the Sverdlovsk region, “2,000 Chinese-made smartphones, 45 apartments and 20 motorcycles, as well as 100 cars produced by the Moskvich brand” are up for grabs this time, reports the Russian newspaper. And to hope to win, voters just have to take part in a quiz on election day. And correct answers are not necessary…