General Discussion

https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-signs-law-allowing-voting-mail-internet/30630536.html

Putin Signs Law Allowing Voting By Mail And Internet



Alternate source here:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/5/24/putin-changes-russias-electoral-law-to-allow-remote-vote

Putin changes Russia’s electoral law to allow remote vote
Russians will be able to vote electronically or by mail in local and national elections as well as referendums

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https://x.com/i/grok/share/gr2Sno2z9S86JgYIbrw5vFV1L

Does Russia have mail-in voting?
Yes, Russia allows mail-in voting. In 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law permitting voting by mail and online for elections and referendums at all levels, as reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Why did Putin lie to President Trump about mail-in voting?
There’s no definitive evidence in the provided sources to confirm Putin explicitly lied to Trump about mail-in voting. However, Trump claimed on August 15, 2025, during a Fox News interview, that Putin told him, “You can’t have an honest election with mail-in voting,” and that “there’s not a country in the world that uses it now.” This statement is factually inaccurate, as Russia itself allows mail-in voting, and nearly three dozen countries, including Canada, Germany, and South Korea, permit some form of postal voting, per the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
Possible reasons for Putin’s alleged misstatement could include:
Strategic disinformation: Putin has a history of making unsubstantiated claims about U.S. elections, such as alleging in January 2024 that U.S. elections were “falsified” through mail-in voting. This aligns with U.S. intelligence reports indicating Russia’s efforts to undermine confidence in U.S. electoral processes, particularly mail-in voting, to sow chaos or support preferred candidates.
Political alignment: Putin’s remarks may have been intended to bolster Trump’s narrative against mail-in voting, given U.S. intelligence findings that Russia preferred Trump’s candidacy in 2016, 2020, and 2024 elections.
Miscommunication or exaggeration: It’s possible Trump misquoted or misinterpreted Putin’s stance, as no direct comment from Putin or Russia’s embassy confirms the conversation.
Without a direct statement from Putin, the claim rests on Trump’s account, and the motivation remains speculative but likely tied to Russia’s broader strategy of amplifying distrust in democratic systems.
How many countries have mail-in voting?
Nearly three dozen countries (approximately 36) allow some form of postal voting, according to the Sweden-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. Examples include Canada, Germany, South Korea, and Russia, though more than half of these countries impose restrictions on which voters qualify. Conversely, some countries, such as France, Mexico, Belgium, Sweden, Italy, Ukraine, Russia (inconsistently, given the 2020 law), Japan, and others, have been cited as banning mail-in voting in certain contexts, though this list is not exhaustive or universally accurate.