Key facts
- Russia's parliamentary election will take place from September 18 to 20.
- The election is the first since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022.
- The ruling United Russia party is expected to retain its dominance of the 450-seat State Duma.
- United Russia currently holds 310 seats and needs at least 300 to maintain its supermajority.
- The liberal Yabloko party has been barred from the party-list ballot.
- The election is being held in Crimea and Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine.
Russia is holding a parliamentary election from September 18 to 20, marking the first such vote since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The political landscape is tightly controlled, with the ruling United Russia party, supported by President Vladimir Putin, widely anticipated to maintain its strong majority in the 450-seat State Duma, the lower house of parliament.
Voters will elect all 450 members of the Duma for five-year terms. Half of the seats are determined by a nationwide party-list vote, while the remaining 225 are decided in single-seat constituencies. A late August survey by state pollster VTsIOM indicated United Russia held 37% support, significantly ahead of the Communist Party's 11.6%. Observers will focus on the margin of United Russia's victory, as the party currently holds 310 seats and requires at least 300 to preserve its supermajority, which allows it to pass constitutional changes without other parties' backing.
The four other parties expected to secure seats in the Duma, including the Communist Party and the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, generally support the war in Ukraine and tend to align with United Russia on key legislative matters. The liberal Yabloko party has been barred from the party-list ballot, effectively sidelining the only registered political party that has opposed the war, although some Yabloko candidates are still running in single-seat constituencies, albeit with little chance of winning. Additionally, several opposition politicians have been disqualified after being designated as "foreign agents."
Golos, the sole independent nationwide election watchdog, which has previously criticized election conduct, ceased operations in 2025 due to sustained pressure from authorities. Moscow has not extended an invitation to international monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to observe the upcoming vote. The OSCE has stated this reflects a pattern of disregard for transparency and accountability by the Russian government, noting that the political system has become more restrictive since the 2021 parliamentary elections, with increased limitations on candidate eligibility and campaign financing.
Russian authorities have refuted these criticisms, asserting that the voting process adheres to legal standards and accusing Western adversaries of attempting to disrupt the election. The election will also encompass Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, and Russian-controlled areas within Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. Voting commenced early in some locations due to security concerns, according to officials.