Russian President Vladimir Putin’s campaign says 1,500,000 signatures have been gathered to put him on the ballot as an independent candidate. The petition drive started January 5, 2018, and needed 300,000 signatures. The election is March 18. See this story.

Another candidate, Grigory Yavlinsky, says he has collected the needed 100,000 signatures to run. Russia requires 300,000 signatures for independent candidates, but 100,000 signatures for nominees of parties that don’t have any representatives in the national legislative body. Parties that do have such representatives do not need any signatures. See this story about Yavlinsky.