Observer abduction, coerced voting reported as Russia's elections begin

Russia's three-day voting for the State Duma and regional parliaments began on September 18, accompanied by reports of large-scale irregularities from independent outlets and human rights organizations. Central Election Commission head Ella Pamfilova had earlier warned that mobile and internet service could be disrupted during the vote due to so-called "security measures," though she stressed this would not be grounds for cancelling the election.

Fraud and coercion

In the Altai region, election commissions reportedly added residents en masse to home-voting lists without their consent — local activists who called people on the lists said residents confirmed they had filed no such requests. More than 250,000 Altai residents, nearly 15% of all voters there, are said to be registered for remote electronic voting, many involuntarily. Public-sector employees in several regions, including Novosibirsk, Sverdlovsk, Belgorod and Samara, reportedly had to personally report their votes for the ruling United Russia party.

Pressure on opposition and observers

The anti-war Yabloko party faced obstruction in Kazan and Sverdlovsk region, where five of its Duma candidates were removed from the race. In Tambov region, security officials reportedly coordinated demands for meetings with independent observers across districts, according to a local rights defender. In Voronezh region, about 400 Communist Party observers were reportedly barred from polling stations over alleged paperwork errors.

The situation is most tense in regions bordering Ukraine, where early voting was permitted. In Rostov region, masked men reportedly abducted a Yabloko observer, driving him away to an unknown location; contact with him was lost. In Belgorod region, mass ballot stuffing during home voting was reported, with commission members allegedly voting on residents' behalf. Ahead of the vote, leaked documents reportedly revealed a new electoral system containing tools for directly altering results. Ukraine's parliament and foreign ministry have called on the international community to condemn voting held in occupied Ukrainian territories.