Russians are voting in an election that is likely to return Vladimir Putin for a fourth term as president
Voting began in the Russian far-east at 20:00 GMT on Saturday, and opened in Moscow nine hours later. More than 100 million people are eligible to vote.
Exit polls are expected late on Sunday. Mr Putin is hoping for another six-year term and faces seven other candidates.
He said he would see as a success any result that gave him the “right to perform the duties of president.”
His comments were carried on national TV as he voted in Moscow.
Mr Putin’s rivals include a millionaire communist, Pavel Grudinin, a former reality television host, Ksenia Sobchak, and veteran nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky.
The main opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, has been prohibited from standing, because of a fraud conviction that he has condemned as politically motivated. Mr Navalny has urged voters to boycott the election and has sent thousands of observers to polling stations to watch for possible violations.
Vladimir Putin, 65, has been Russia’s dominant leader since 1999, either as president or prime minister.
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