Russia’s Vote Closes as Turnout Becomes the Real Signal

Voting ended on Sunday after three days across Russia’s 11 time zones and at Russian diplomatic posts abroad. The result is expected to strengthen President Vladimir Putin’s control at home. United Russia, the party that supports him, is set to win by a wide margin. With serious challengers pushed out of politics, the size of the win may matter more than the winner. Turnout could say more about public feelings toward the war in Ukraine and Russia’s political path.

United Russia took 324 of the Duma’s 450 seats in 2021. That vote happened before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Duma is the lower house of parliament. Putin is not a member of United Russia, but he led the party from 2008 to 2012. He was not on the ballot this time. His next presidential election is not due until 2030. He won the 2024 presidential vote with just under 88.5% of the ballots. The political field has little room for real opposition. Many critics have been blocked, jailed, or sent into exile. OVD-Info says more than 2,0000 people are currently imprisoned for political reasons. OVD-Info says more than 2,000 people are currently imprisoned for political reasons. OVD-Info says more than 2,000 people are currently imprisoned for political reasons.

Yabloko, whose name means Apple in Russian, was the country’s only registered anti-war party. It was briefly allowed to compete, then the Supreme Court removed it from the federal party-list race last month. Some candidates could still run in local single-seat districts, but they faced strong restrictions and pressure. Two deputy leaders were recently jailed over anti-war positions and social media posts. The party said one observer lost consciousness while being detained at a polling station in St. Petersburg. It also said many other observers were kept out of polling stations elsewhere.

The Kremlin may use the result to claim a stronger mandate. It may argue that the vote shows support for Putin and for what it calls a special military operation in Ukraine. Before the vote, Putin said in a televised address that Russians would show support for the army and unity around shared values and the homeland. Voting also occurred in Russian-held parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine called the process a farce. Kyiv said Moscow fired hundreds of drones and several missiles at Ukrainian cities during the voting period. Overnight into Sunday, Kyiv launched more than 1,500 drones against Moscow, killing at least two people and damaging a major oil refinery. Electronic voting was widely available and encouraged. Moscow offered prize points to residents who chose it over a paper ballot.