Russians headed to the polls Sunday for the first electoral test of Vladimir Putin’s power since he retook the presidency. The round of gubernatorial elections—the first for the country in eight years—comes amid a downturn in approval ratings for Putin, who repealed a ban on the election of governors after massive protests last year. Polls taken by the Civil Society Development Fund showed candidates backed by the ruling United Russia party leading in all five contested gubernatorial districts, though some mayoral and other local races looked ripe for the opposition’s picking.
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