Russia opens three-day parliamentary elections across 11 time zones and occupied Ukraine

Three-day vote across 11 time zones

Voting takes place between 18 and 20 September to elect all 450 deputies of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia's parliament. Polls open across 11 time zones, beginning in the eastern regions of Kamchatka and Chukotka and running until Sunday at 20:00 Romanian time. Voters will also select regional legislatures and governors in 11 regions. Half of the 450 Duma seats are allocated through national party lists, while the other 225 seats are decided in single-mandate constituencies. Russian authorities are also conducting the vote inside the four partially occupied Ukrainian regions claimed by Moscow.

Systemic control and exclusion of opposition

The election is the first parliamentary vote held since Moscow deployed troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The pool of authorized political contenders has shrunk significantly over the past decade, leaving little room for public dissent. Five main parties that support Kremlin policies appear on the federal party-list ballot: United Russia, the Communist Party, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), A Just Russia, and New People. The liberal party Yabloko, the only group campaigning on an explicit anti-war platform, was excluded from the federal party-list contest. More than 70% of incumbent lawmakers are seeking reelection, while United Russia currently holds 321 of the 450 seats.

Exiled Russian political scientist Nikolai Petrov described the functional role of the vote in demonstrating domestic alignment with the state.

Like in the Soviet Union, elections are meant to demonstrate citizens' loyalty.

Voting procedures and border stations

Authorities have expanded administrative voting mechanisms, offering electronic voting in 33 regions across the country. For Russian citizens residing in Poland and the Baltic states where most Russian consulates have closed, election officials set up special voting facilities near border checkpoints. Ella Pamfilova, head of the Russian Central Election Commission, announced that ten border polling stations will operate during the three-day window.

Building on the experience gained in 2024, ten polling stations will be opened for them near border posts.

According to the Central Election Commission, Russia is operating a total of 333 polling stations across 152 foreign countries.

Wartime pressures and local sentiment

The election takes place against the backdrop of ongoing hostilities and Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russian infrastructure. In the central city of Tambov, located 500 kilometers southeast of Moscow, strikes on a commercial warehouse in July killed seven people and injured 25. Local political races in such regions reflect the dominance of pro-war candidates over anti-war alternatives. Andrei Zhidkov, a 64-year-old Communist Party candidate in Tambov, rejected diplomatic concessions during an interview.

Any war ends in peace. But peace proposals during a war always represent a dangerous path. That is why we are a fighting party.

Sociologist Aleksandr Shulga noted that the conflict remains a primary public concern as state institutions refine administrative registries for military conscription and mobilization.