Edward Marchesi From September 18 to 20, Russia held elections for the Duma, the lower house of parliament. The process, though formally open to multiple parties, was managed under tight control of the Kremlin, which imposed restrictions on candidates and lists, effectively reducing competition.
According to the state television exit poll , United Russia received 49,4% of the vote, a value almost identical to that of the previous party (49,8%).
With this share, Vladimir Putin 's party preserved its 324 out of 550 seats, maintaining the majority needed to lead the legislature.
Official results and comparison with the
In the election cycle, United Russia won 49,8% of the vote, translating into 324 seats. This year, with 49,4% , the result remains essentially unchanged, demonstrating the continuity of the grassroots consensus, or at least the regime's ability to manage the vote predictably.
The other political forces, although participating, saw their values reduced due to targeted exclusions.
Exclusion mechanism and most striking cases
The liberal Yabloko party was removed from the proportional lists for alleged copyright infringement, depriving it of a potential 24,6% poll performance. In Chelyabinsk, a candidate was disqualified for using Banksy's famous portrait, violating copyright.
In Nizhny Novgorod, another candidate was banned for quoting Andrei Gromyko: "Better ten years of negotiations than a single day of war." In St. Petersburg, authorities removed campaign posters with words like "peace," "freedom," and "life," maintaining a controlled narrative.
Other incidents include the disqualification in Saratov of an outgoing MP for sharing an old photo of Alexei Navalny on his Telegram channel, and the exclusion in Tver of a businessman with ties to Rodina for owning shares in Apple, Microsoft, and Meta. Even the Communist parties, despite being aligned with the Kremlin, have seen their numbers limited to avoid a possible backlash.
Political significance and Putin's statements
For the regime, the elections represent a barometer of popular sentiment. The president stated that "the vote will be fully in accordance with the Constitution, and it will demonstrate that millions of Russians are behind our soldiers," emphasizing that the vote is a response to "Russia's weakening." The result allows them to gauge any potential outbreaks of discontent linked to the war in Ukraine and calibrate their response.
Election promises for citizens
Among the more outlandish proposals, a United Russia candidate promised "more bomb shelters and drone defenses for everyone," a Siberian communist announced the construction of cities with three million inhabitants within three years, and another guaranteed "free gasoline and free internet." These promises, while unrealistic, serve to paint an image of protection and well-being for the population.