Russia's presidential race officially begins next week

In a significant if perfunctory move, Russia’s Federation Council has formally announced that the country’s next presidential race will take place on March 18, 2018. The decision takes effect on Monday, December 18, exactly three months before the vote.

The election would have occurred on March 11 (the second Sunday of the month), but a year ago the State Duma postponed the vote so it would coincide with the anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea — timing that is expected to boost support for Vladimir Putin, whose decision to seize the Ukrainian peninsula was overwhelmingly popular in Russia.

In a reelection race he’s widely expected to win easily, Putin will likely face familiar figures like Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, and Yabloko founder Grigory Yavlinsky, as well as newcomers Entrepreneurs’ Rights Commissioner Boris Titov and TV celebrity and journalist Ksenia Sobchak.

For the past year, opposition politician Alexey Navalny has run Russia’s most vocal presidential campaign, but a suspended felony conviction prevents him from standing for elected office until 2028. Navalny has called this restriction unconstitutional, but Russia’s judicial system disagrees.