Russian election officials roll out a nifty online system (to boost turnout) that allows voters to change ballot stations

As part of the government’s effort to boost turnout for the 2018 presidential election, the Central Election Commission has unveiled an online service that allows voters to change their voting station, if they expect to be away from their local precinct on election day on March 18.

People using the service, which is available until March 12, can expect official confirmation from the Interior Ministry within an hour. Successful applicants will be added to a list at their chosen voting station and sent a confirmation message, which they can print out or show from their smartphones.

After March 13, voters can still apply for a special stamp to cast their ballots outside their home precincts, but their options dwindle to special voting stations.

Also to boost turnout for this year’s presidential election, Russian officials canceled absentee ballots. News outlets previously reported that the Kremlin has a “70/70” plan for the race, where 70 percent of voters participate and 70 percent of those votes go to Putin.