Voting is underway in the Russian presidential election, with opinions polls projecting Vladimir Putin to win by a wide margin.  
MOSCOW - Russians on Sunday began voting in the 2018 presidential election. Incumbent President Vladimir Putin is projected to beat the seven other candidates in the race to secure a fourth six-year term in the Kremlin.
Opinion polls forecast the former KGB spy garnering roughly 70 percent of the vote.
Russia's Central Election Commission said the turnout stood at 51.9 percent of Russia's nearly 111 million as of 5 p.m. Moscow time (1400 UTC).Turnout is expected to be between 63 and 67 percent, according to pollsters. Analysts believe that the turnout rate is a major factor for Putin, who is looking to secure a clear mandate.