Ruling party claims about half the vote in Russia's State Duma 'election'
Three days of voting in Russia's State Duma 'election' have concluded, with preliminary data showing the ruling United Russia party taking roughly half the vote. The vote was accompanied by reports of pressure on observers and alleged fabrication.
Russia's three-day voting period for State Duma deputy 'elections' concluded on Sunday, with the last polling stations closing at 21:00 local time in the country's westernmost region, Kaliningrad.
According to Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC), preliminary turnout stood at 56.66% by the close of voting. State news agency TASS, citing pro-government exit polls and preliminary CEC data, reported that the ruling United Russia party is receiving approximately half of all votes.
Conflicting figures from different sources
Polling agency VCIOM put United Russia's result at 49.4%, followed by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation at 14.2%, the Liberal Democratic Party at 10.7%, the New People party at 9.7%, and A Just Russia at 6.6%. Another agency, INSOMAR, reported a higher figure for the ruling party — 52.8% — with the Communists at 14.8%, Liberal Democrats at 9.9%, New People at 8.6%, and A Just Russia at 5.5%. Based on processing of 13.88% of protocols, the CEC stated that United Russia is receiving 57.54% of the vote.
Allegations of fabrication and a cyberattack claim
Ahead of the vote, reports indicated that mobile networks and internet access could be shut down in parts of Russia during the September 18–21 voting period, officially attributed to security measures. Throughout the country, systematic pressure on observers and coercion of state employees to vote were reported, alongside allegations of widespread fabrication. Investigators say the updated State Automated System 'Vybory 2.0', deployed for the first time at full scale in federal elections in 2026, includes tools enabling direct alteration of final vote protocols, interference with voter lists, and uploading of unverified electronic voting results.
Ella Pamfilova, head of Russia's Central Election Commission, claimed that Moscow's election system suffered a large-scale, intensive cyberattack overnight on September 19.
Ukraine's response
On September 17, Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, called on foreign parliaments, governments, international organizations and parliamentary assemblies to condemn the holding of the so-called State Duma elections in Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories and to refuse to recognize their results. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry likewise urged the world not to recognize Russia's State Duma and regional parliament elections, which the aggressor state is also conducting on occupied Ukrainian territory.
