Russian anti-war presidential hopeful Boris Nadezhdin submits signatures to officially join race

Russian anti-war presidential hopeful Boris Nadezhdin has submitted 105,000 signatures from voters supporting his candidacy to the country’s Central Election Commission (CEC), he announced on Telegram on Wednesday. Under Russian law, Nadezhdin needs 100,000 verified signatures to officially join the race.

The 60-year-old political veteran bucked all expectations in January when his anti-Putin message motivated Russians across the country and abroad to wait in long lines to lend their support to his campaign.

Nadezhdin has vowed to be a president for “all Russians” by bringing an end to the war in Ukraine, repealing the country’s repressive laws, and releasing its political prisoners, among other things.

It remains to be seen whether the CEC will allow Nadezhdin to register as a candidate. As the Wednesday deadline for joining the race has approached, two other candidates have submitted their documents, including 100,000 signatures each, before promptly withdrawing from the election.