Voter turnout for the March 4 Russian presidential polls had risen to 58.3 percent by 6 pm Moscow time, election officials said.

According to RIA Novosti, voting was brisk, with 47.6 percent turnout by 3 pm.

The election, the first for a six-year term in office, is being contested by incumbent Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, A Just Russia’s Sergei Mironov and the only independent, Mikhail Prokhorov.