Putin urges high voter turnout ahead of Russian election

MOSCOW – President Vladimir Putin is urging Russians to cast ballots in Sunday's election, which he's certain to win.

Putin said in Friday's televised address that "the will of the people, the will of each Russian citizen will determine the path the country will take."

The Russian leader, whose approval ratings top 80 percent, is set to easily win another six-year term against seven challengers, but the Kremlin has been concerned about voter apathy and has sought to boost turnout to make Putin's victory as impressive as possible.

Putin urged Russians to "use their right to choose the future for the great Russia that we all love." He warned that failure to cast a ballot would mean that "this decisive choice will be made without your opinion taken into account."