Widespread Fraud In Russian Vote To Extend Putin's Rule?

A woman wears a face mask with the message "No To Putin" during a protest against the constitutional amendments in St. Petersburg on July 1.

RFE: Election Monitors Find 'Unprecedented' Levels Of Fraud In Russian Vote On Extending Putin's Rule

MOSCOW -- The day President Vladimir Putin declared victory in a vote on constitutional changes that pave the way for him to rule Russia until 2036, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov called it a "triumphal referendum on confidence" in the former KGB officer, who has already spent over two decades in power.

Official results of the weeklong vote that ended July 1 showed that 77.92 percent of Russian voters endorsed the constitutional changes, with only 21.26 against. Turnout was 68 percent, the Central Election Commission said.

"Such a high turnout and such a high level of support was very difficult to predict," Peskov said in a statement to reporters.

Other officials quickly chimed in.

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Update: Ballot Fraud Gave Russia's Putin 22 Million Extra Votes, Says Expert (Newsweek)

WNU Editor: According to the Russian Central Election Commission (via through TASS) .... 77.92 percent of voters supported changes in the constitution. 21.27 percent opposed. The official turnout was 67.97 percent. What is telling to me is that when the results were announced, no one cheered. No one applauded. To put it bluntly. Everyone knew their vote made no difference.

Update #2: Will he listen to new ideas? .... Russia Has Given Putin The Result He Wanted: Now He Needs New Ideas (Forbes).