Key facts
- Observers described Russia's Sept. 18-20 parliamentary election as the "dirtiest" in modern history.
- Independent media and genuine opposition parties were banned from running.
- Allegations of vote rigging include forcing state employees to vote, ballot stuffing, and manipulating electronic voting.
- Official results show United Russia winning 58% of the vote and a constitutional majority of 355 seats.
- Russian journalist Farida Rustamova called the elections the least competitive and least free in modern Russian history.
- Election analyst Roman Udot estimated that about 23 percentage points of United Russia's votes were rigged.
Observers have described Russia's September 18-20 parliamentary election as the "dirtiest" in the country's modern history, with widespread allegations of vote rigging, manipulation of electronic voting, and suppression of opposition. Independent media and genuine opposition parties were banned from participating, and state-employed employees were reportedly forced to vote. Independent election observers were also obstructed or expelled from polling stations nationwide.
Despite these measures, some evidence emerged suggesting that the ruling United Russia party's performance was worse than expected in non-rigged results, with strong anti-war protest voting observed in major cities. Official results, with 97.4% of votes counted, showed United Russia receiving 58% of the vote, securing 355 out of 450 seats in the State Duma. The Communist Party was the runner-up with 13.67%.
Farida Rustamova, a Russian journalist and Kremlin expert, told the Kyiv Independent that these were the least competitive and least free elections in modern Russian history due to the lack of genuine competition and the thorough clearing of the political and media landscape of opposition.
Russian exiled politician Dmitry Gudkov stated that the election fraud was set to a record, suggesting that United Russia's actual support is around 20-25%, with the rest fabricated. Election analyst Roman Udot estimated that approximately 23 percentage points of United Russia's official 58% vote share were rigged, representing about 20 million votes. Russian columnist Sergei Parkhomenko argued that analyzing the numbers to reflect voter sentiment is pointless, as the Kremlin simply fabricated the figures it wanted.
Electronic voting was a significant tool for alleged rigging. Numerous cases of ballot stuffing and forced voting for government-approved parties were reported. Independent observers noted that blockchain data from Moscow's electronic voting system was unavailable for independent analysis, and many voters reported receiving information that they had voted electronically when they had not. Polling stations in Moscow reportedly stopped issuing paper ballots for hours due to a "computer error" while the electronic system remained functional, which opposition supporters attributed to an attempt to prevent paper voting, which is harder to rig.
In occupied Ukrainian territories, the situation was described as even worse, with virtually no independent observers and early voting lasting several weeks, making results impossible to verify. Russian soldiers conducted surveillance near election booths, and voting often occurred in chaotic street settings. High turnout numbers were reported in front-line regions such as Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts.