Floating polling stations allow flood victims to cast their ballots in Khabarovsk region

The ballot boxes were brought to them on boats supplied by the Emergencies' Ministry. Calls to cancel  governors' elections such as this one - in Khabarovsk region - were rebutted by Vladimir Putin who argued locals should be allowed to give their verdict on the performance of their officials. 

Pulley-systems were put in place to that marooned voters could prove their identity by showing their passports and then see their ballot papers passed to the boat. Many flood victims were voting from the upper floors of their waterlogged homes. 

A dozen such boats were on emergency election duty in Khabarovsk region, one of the worst-hit by flooding. 

'In each boat are two rescuers and two members of the electoral commission,' said one report. 'Their mission - to deliver the ballots and mobile ballot box to residents who refused to leave their houses, which have been disconnected from electricity and water'.

While there were some surprises further west, results in Siberia and Russia Far East showed candidates from the ruling United Russia Party performing solidly in overnight counting.