Early referendum results suggest Russian voters are overwhelmingly approving constitutional amendments that would allow President Vladimir Putin to run for another two terms and potentially extend his rule until 2036.
The Central Elections Commission said that with 15 per cent of precincts counted, the amendments package got the approval of 71 per cent of voters.
Those results were announced on Wednesday night before the last polling places in the country closed, reflecting both early voting that took place for the past week and the time difference between Moscow and Russia's distant eastern regions.
The balloting was tarnished by reports of pressure on voters, other irregularities and concern that the early voting could not be monitored properly.
For the first time in Russia, polls were open for a week to bolster turnout without increasing crowds casting ballots amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The vote completes a convoluted saga that began in January, when Mr Putin first proposed the constitutional changes.
He offered to broaden the powers of parliament and redistribute authority among the branches of government, stoking speculation he might seek to become parliamentary speaker or chairman of the State Council when his presidential term ends in 2024.
His intentions became clear only hours before a vote in parliament, when legislator Valentina Tereshkova, a Soviet-era cosmonaut who was the first woman in space in 1963, proposed letting him run two more times.
The amendments, which also emphasise the primacy of Russian law over international norms, outlaw same-sex marriages and mention "a belief in God" as a core value, were quickly passed by the Kremlin-controlled legislature.
Mr Putin, who has been in power for more than two decades, said he would decide later whether to run again in 2024.
He argued that resetting the term count was necessary to keep his lieutenants focused on their work instead of "darting their eyes in search for possible successors".
Even though the parliament's approval was enough to make it law, the 67-year-old Russian president put his constitutional plan to voters to showcase his broad support and add a democratic veneer to the changes.
