Russians Abroad Vote Against Ruling Party in Most Emigration Hubs
An analysis by independent outlet Agentstvo shows United Russia lost to the New People party at most overseas polling stations in cities that became major hubs for Russians who left after the war began.
Independent Russian investigative outlet Agentstvo has analyzed data from Russia's Central Election Commission covering 27 polling stations abroad, finding that in most cities that became key destinations for Russians who emigrated after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, the ruling United Russia party failed to come out on top.
New People took first place at 18 of the 27 stations reviewed. At many of these locations, United Russia didn't even manage second place, trailing behind both New People and the Communist Party (KPRF).
New People recorded its strongest results — over 50% of the vote — in Almaty, Barcelona, The Hague, Da Nang, Salzburg, Ljubljana, Prague, and Tel Aviv.
United Russia won in nine of the 27 cities analyzed, including Baku, Bishkek, Riga, Istanbul, Sofia, and Hanoi. In Sydney, the contest was nearly tied, with United Russia edging ahead at 31.66% compared to New People's 31.35%.
Across all overseas polling stations, as of 2 p.m. on September 21, United Russia held 39.58% of the vote, followed by New People with 24.49% and KPRF with 16.99%. The Central Election Commission has yet to release full results from all stations abroad.
Reversed Picture Inside Russia
Within Russia itself, with 93% of ballots counted, United Russia leads comfortably with 58% of the vote. KPRF follows with 14%, LDPR with 9%, New People with 8%, and A Just Russia with 5%.
