Russia is expected to vote for Dmitry Medvedev in the Sunday’s presidential elections, who is known to be endorsed by President Vladimir Putin. The 42-year-old presidential candidate is a St. Petersburg lawyer and longtime aide to Putin.

Medvedev looked self-confident and relaxed when casting his ballot in his favor in Moscow on Sunday: ‘I’m in a good mood. Spring is here,” Medvedev said, according to the Associated Press.

There are many voices both locally and internationally, claiming that the situation won’t change much in Russia, saying that Putin will continue to hold power, as he has agreed to take the prime minister’s post. However, Medvedev has expressed his support for democracy and freedom of speech and of the press.

The electionslacks real competition, opposition says. The other contenders for presidency are Vladimir Zhironovsky, a well-known ultranationalist; Gennady Zuganov, a communist; and Andrei Bogdanov.

The final opinion polls released before the elections indicated that Medvedev would win 70 to 80 percent of the vote, followed by the 63-year-old Zuganov, with 10 to 16 percent. This survey implied the fact that the turnout could reach 70 percent, although many Kremlin critics suggested that the figure could be boosted by factory managers and state officials who force their employees to vote.

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov promised in advance that his region will vote for Putin’s chosen successor, guaranteeing a 100 percent endorsement, Reuters reports.

“I believe there will be a 100 percent turnout today. My family and all the people of the Chechen republic will vote for him,” Kadyrov said Sunday.

Unlike his other three opponents, Medvedev has refused to take part in televised debates. “I respect my opponents, but I don't overestimate them,” he said in an interview published on his Web site. “I don't need to win a bunch of verbal battles,” Bloomberg quotes him as saying.

Ivan Melnikov, Zuganov’s campaign manager, said that Medvedev’s refusal to appear on public debates is in fact a campaign strategy meant to prevent voters from comparing his platform to those of the other candidates.

Only 300 international election observers were supervising the 96,000 voting stations across Russia’s 11 time zones.