From Thursday through July 1, Russians will go to the polls to cast their vote of approval — or rejection — on a set of constitutional amendments that would allow President Vladimir Putin to extend his rule through 2036.
If passed, the amendments would make the first changes to Russia's basic law since 1993. In addition to adding various social, legal and economic guarantees to the Constitution, the amendments also "zero out" Putin's term limit, allowing him to serve two more six-year terms.
The referendum has been heavily promoted in the weeks leading up to it and millions of people are expected to take part. While residents of Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod can vote online, the rest of the country is required to vote in person. As a result, polling stations are being set up everywhere...and we mean everywhere.
Here's a look at some of the most unusual, surprising and just plain weird polling places where Russians are handing in their ballots:
Take a trip down the slide, then place your vote in the box.
No word on if this tree stump was used to make the paper for these ballots.
From the concrete bench to the transparent container for submitted ballots, there's a lot to discuss here.
In Russia, you can cast your vote in an outdoor tent...
...on a public bus...
...on a football field...
...or even in the trunk of a stranger's car.
This polling place in a residential courtyard is of the blink-and-you'll-miss-it variety.
At least it's easy to practice social distancing at this polling place in the woods.
This playground carousel isn't really what we were picturing when we talked about "mobilizing voters."
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