Russia Unida leads the country’s parliamentary elections with 57 percent of the vote amid widespread reports of electronic voting irregularities, opposition exclusions, and heavy bombardment in Moscow. The three-day vote concludes without independent international election monitors, cementing ruling-party control as the war in Ukraine continues.
Russia’s ruling party, Rusia Unida, secured 57 percent of the vote in the parliamentary elections following a three-day voting period. According to early figures released by the Central Election Commission, the initial results cover nearly 14 percent of the ballots and position the pro-Kremlin party at the front of the race for the 450 seats in the State Duma.
The electoral process unfolded across 89 regions, engaging more than 111 million eligible citizens, including voters residing abroad. The initial distribution of seats relies on a mixed system dividing the legislature evenly between national party lists and single-member constituencies.
Central Election Commission Tallies and Parliamentary Standing
Behind the ruling party, the Communist Party captured the second position with roughly 13.6 percent of the vote. Other political formations cleared the initial threshold required to enter the lower house of parliament. The ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia registered about 9.2 percent, New People secured nearly 8 percent, and A Just Russia reached roughly 5.1 percent.
Following the release of the initial counts, high-ranking officials signaled continuity in domestic and foreign policy. Former president and Rusia Unida leader Dmitry Medvedev asserted that the public maintains its trust in the dominant political force. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov added that the outcome would not alter Moscow’s current diplomatic trajectory.
Exclusion of Anti-War Opposition and Strict Ballot Controls
The election took place under tight restrictions for political groups critical of the government’s military actions. Yabloko, the principal party opposing the invasion of Ukraine, was barred from national party lists following a ruling by the Russian Supreme Court, though the organization retained a limited number of candidates running in individual districts.
On election day, Yabloko president Nikolai Rybakov openly protested the restrictions at his polling station. Marking his ballot in green and red—representing his party’s color and the color of blood—he wrote Yabloko, for peace and for a ceasefire agreement before casting his vote in front of cameras and police officers.
Human rights organizations documented a severe political climate surrounding the vote. According to the human rights group OVD-Info, at least 2,188 political prisoners were held in Russian prisons as the country went to the polls.
Disputed Electronic Voting Systems and Polling Station Irregularities
Critics and opposition observers raised multiple concerns regarding electronic voting platforms used in Moscow and across other regions. Monitors reported that digital terminals lacked verifiable paper trails, rendering independent audits practically impossible. Central Election Commission head Ella Pamfilova acknowledged that the digital voting platform in the capital had experienced cyberattacks, while opposition groups maintained that electronic systems left ample room for unverified adjustments.
- Polling station 1546 in Moscow reportedly failed to provide paper ballots, citing computer errors.
- An entire residential building on Kolskaya Street was omitted from the active voter registry.
- Polling station 60 in St. Petersburg experienced overnight ballot box seal replacements.
- In the Komi Republic, authorities discovered pre-marked ballot packs favoring the ruling party.
- A Communist Party deputy shared video footage showing a worker stuffing ballot boxes at polling station 343 in the Cheremhia region.
Absence of International Monitors and Inclusion of Occupied Territories
The vote proceeded without oversight from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights noted that Moscow failed to issue an invitation, violating long-standing commitments.
The absence of independent and impartial international election observation by the OSCE deprives voters, electoral actors and the international community of an objective assessment of the process. Maria Telalian, Director of ODIHR, via Infobae
For the first time in federal legislative elections, voting procedures were extended to include residents in parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, alongside Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.
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