Elections to the State Duma have begun in Russia amid reports of violations
Kyiv • UNN
On September 18–20, Russia is electing 450 State Duma deputies, including in the occupied territories of Ukraine. Pressure on observers and public-sector employees has been reported.
A three-day vote in the elections to Russia’s State Duma has begun. Voting will take place from September 18 to 20, including in the occupied territories of Ukraine, amid pressure on observers and coercion of public-sector employees. Russian media report this, UNN writes.
Details
Following the elections, 450 State Duma deputies are to be elected: 225 in single-member constituencies and another 225 from party lists. Ten parties are participating in the federal list after the Yabloko party was removed from the elections. At the same time, individual candidates from this party are running in single-member constituencies.
The elections are taking place amid reports by Russian media outlets and human rights organizations of pressure on opposition observers and candidates. In particular, in Voronezh Oblast, according to Russian media, about 400 observers from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation were barred from working due to alleged deficiencies in their documents.
There are also separate reports of possible pressure on voters. In a number of regions, according to local opposition groups and media outlets, public-sector employees are allegedly being forced to report that they voted for United Russia. Such reports have come, in particular, from Altai Krai and the Novosibirsk, Sverdlovsk, Belgorod, and Samara oblasts.
It is noted that ahead of the elections, Russian CEC Chair Ella Pamfilova also warned of possible disruptions to mobile communications and data transmission. According to her, such problems may occur due to "security measures," but will not constitute grounds for canceling the vote.
Additional information
The 2026 State Duma elections are the first parliamentary elections in Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Voting is also being held in the territories of Ukraine occupied by Russia, which constitutes a violation of Ukrainian legislation and international law.