MOSCOW - Vladimir Putin's electoral rating remains high and has almost doubled since the beginning of this year, the Levada Center told Interfax, citing a poll conducted on Novю 21-24.
The poll, which was conducted in 134 populated areas of 46 regions of Russia, surveys 1,600 respondents aged over 18. The statistical margin of error does not exceed 3.4 percent.
Responding to a question from the sociologists (who gave no politician names) as to who they would vote for if presidential elections were held in Russia this coming Sunday, 53 percent of the respondents said they would vote for Putin. This figure reached 29 percent in January and 50 percent in May.
Responding to the same questions in which the names of specific politicians were stated, 82 percent of the respondents said they would vote for Putin. Putin’s electoral support among the Russians who have made up their mind has generally increased by 16 percent points since the beginning of the year (from 66% in January).
According to the poll, 19 percent of the respondents said they do not want to vote in elections or have doubts about them and 17 percent do not know who they would vote for.
Seven of the respondents who have made up their mind said they would vote for Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, 6 percent said they would vote for Liberal Democratic Party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, and 2 percent said they would vote for A Just Russia leader Sergei Mironov.
When asked who they would vote if the State Duma elections were held this coming Sunday, 64 percent of the respondents who have made up their mind said they would vote for United Russia, 15 percent said they would vote for the Communist party, nine percent said they would vote for the Liberal Democratic Party, 4 percent said they would vote for A Just Russia, 1 percent said they would vote for Yabloko, and 1 percent said they would vote for the Progress Party, the Levada Center said.
Six percent of the respondents who have made up their mind said they would vote against all candidates, a 2 percent increase from October.
