Watch: Voting under way in Russian election tightly controlled by Kremlin

Watch: Voting under way in Russian election tightly controlled by Kremlin. The move could pave the way for Kremlin-friendly investors to take control of Nestlé’s Russian business, alongside assets linked to Auchan and Leroy Merlin.

What happened

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesSwiss food giant Nestle said Friday it's weighing its options after the Kremlin moved to place the Russian assets of its business under temporary external administration. "Russian President Vladimir Putin's surprise move is widely regarded as the first step toward passing the assets into the hands of Kremlin-friendly investors and comes as part of a renewed push against Western businesses still operating in the country amid the Ukraine war. Many of them have repeatedly undermined the very process they are participating in, and they will be looking to win some of the most powerful elected positions in the country—positions that would help determine how voting goes in future elections.

These numbers include a sitting US congressman who voted against certifying the 2020 election results; a former state representative who integrated QAnon conspiracy theories into election denialism; and local election officials who have actively sought to undermine election results by pushing baseless conspiracy theories about noncitizen voting. The data shows there are already 27 election deniers in 20 states who hold a statewide office with election oversight, like secretary of state or attorney general—positions that allow the holder to set voting rules or prosecute those they believe are cheating at the ballots.

This really is an attempt to corrode the system from within. ”The huge roster of election deniers on the ballot in November has also been emboldened by a groundswell of local groups and individuals who have been working for years to promote baseless claims about mail-in voting, noncitizen voter fraud, and rigged voting machines. As governor, Tiffany would have the power to appoint some of the state’s top election officials on the Wisconsin Elections Commission, giving him the ability to install election deniers to oversee voting for the 2028 presidential election.

The wider picture

Wiley says the 2020 election was stolen and that, if victorious, his first act would be to delete Colorado’s voter lists and force every citizen to reregister. (This is illegal on both a federal and state level. ) He also wants to do away with all voting machines but at the same time place all public records on the blockchain, according to his campaign website. CommentsBack to topJoin the discussionCommentsBack to topYou Might Also LikeIn your inbox: WIRED's most ambitious, future-defining storiesAI slop backlash is actually having an impactBig Story: The cop who took on FlockThe rise of the 1am job interviewWatch: I stole a car by hacking this hidden deviceDavid Gilbert is a reporter at WIRED covering disinformation, online extremism, and how these two online trends impact people’s lives across the globe, with a special focus on the 2024 US presidential election.

Russia's parliamentary elections are under way, the first since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Skip NavigationMarketsBusinessInvestingTechPolitics & PolicyVideoWatchlistInvesting ClubPROLivestreamMenuKey PointsNestlé is assessing its options after Russia placed the Swiss food giant’s local assets under temporary external administration. The maker of Nescafé coffee and KitKat chocolate bars said that it took note of the Russian presidential decree, which was published on the country's official legal portal on Thursday, and is "assessing the situation. French retailer Auchan and Lemana Pro, the former Russian arm of French DIY retailer Leroy Merlin, were also targeted by the decree, with Russian assets of the companies set to be transferred to a shell company called L.

Cracks are getting harder to hide'Winter is coming’: Ukraine fears its toughest test since Russia’s full-scale invasion"Right now, we're talking specifically about introducing external management; no other decisions have been made yet," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, according to news agency RIA Novosti. Skip to main contentSave this storySave this storyOn November 3, when voters across the US go to the polls, almost 200 election deniers will be on the ballot.

What has been reported

Following the primaries, there will be 197 election deniers on the ballot for congressional and statewide races in the midterms across 43 states, according to new data shared exclusively with WIRED by States United Action, a nonpartisan nonprofit that supports state officials in protecting elections. But for election experts and officials, one of the biggest concerns ahead of the midterms is the possibility that these election deniers could obtain oversight of the 2028 presidential election process. In November, 33 election deniers will seek to secure similar positions in states across the country.

“All Americans should be concerned if people who are trying to undermine trust in elections and trying to interfere in the election process are taking positions of responsibility over elections,” Wendy Weiser, vice president for democracy at the nonprofit Brennan Center for Justice, tells WIRED. “We've seen in recent years an increasing number of election deniers taking some positions of public trust. As the numbers increase, it just increases the risk to our election system.

And from the top, President Donald Trump has increasingly pushed election-denial conspiracy theories, according to data gathered by States United Action. The group’s data shows that 60 percent of Trump’s statements referencing elections since the 2024 election include an explicit claim of fraud, rigging, or theft.

What happens next

"The election-denial movement is more powerful than ever, and it's a direct threat to our freedom to vote,” Joanna Lydgate, CEO of States United Action, tells WIRED. “Election deniers are embedded at every level of government, pushing conspiracy theories from positions of real power. ”WIRED is keeping a close eye on many of these impactful races featuring election deniers. Here are five of the midterm races featuring election deniers that WIRED and States United Action are tracking:The Michigan Senate RaceIn the wake of the 2020 election, former US representative Mike Rogers slammed Trump’s efforts to persuade Georgia’s secretary of state to change the election results as “more gangster than presidential. ” He was also unequivocal in his assessment of Trump’s role in the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021: “You’re damn right you had responsibility for this,” Rogers said at the time.

But now, seeking a return to Congress as the Republican nominee for Senate in Michigan, Rogers appears to see election denialism as a winning campaign strategy. The news coming out of the White House tonight is deeply troubling—especially that of a voter fraud scheme right here in Michigan,” Rogers wrote on X moments after Trump delivered a conspiracy-filled speech about election fraud, including a long-debunked claim about fraud in Michigan. This year, Tiffany has warmly welcomed the FBI’s baseless investigation into the state’s elections.

If Ramaswamy becomes Ohio governor, he would be in a position to have much more power over forcing such measures through and could deeply impact the 2028 presidential election.

The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across cnbc.com, wired.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.