Russia Begins Three-Day Parliamentary Election in 2026

Russia has begun a three-day parliamentary election that will determine the composition of the country’s 450-seat State Duma, with voting taking place from September 18 to 20.

The election is the first parliamentary vote in Russia since the country launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. About 111 million Russians are eligible to vote, while electronic voting is also available in addition to traditional polling stations.

Voting began in Russia’s Far East before spreading across the country’s 11 time zones. President Vladimir Putin also cast his ballot electronically on Friday.

What Russians are voting for

The State Duma is the lower house of Russia’s Federal Assembly and has 450 deputies. Russian law provides for the election of the Duma for a five-year term.

The 2026 vote includes both party-list and single-member constituency contests.

The election also coincides with regional and local elections in parts of Russia, including contests for governors and regional legislatures.

The Central Election Commission is overseeing the process, with voting scheduled to end on Sunday.

Initial results are expected after polling closes, although counting and verification will continue after voting ends.

Election takes place during wartime

The parliamentary vote is taking place against the continuing war between Russia and Ukraine.

The conflict has affected the political environment inside Russia, including restrictions on political speech and opposition activity.

Putin has presented the election as an opportunity to demonstrate national unity and support for Russia’s policies during the war. Reuters reported that the Kremlin is also using the election to gauge public sentiment amid war-related economic pressures and Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory.

At the same time, Russian authorities have continued to restrict political activity considered hostile to the government’s position on the war.

Opposition faces restrictions

The election has drawn attention because several prominent anti-war and opposition voices are not participating in the party-list contest.

The liberal Yabloko party was removed from the party-list ballot after Russia’s Supreme Court ruled against its participation, according to AP and other reporting. Yabloko had campaigned on an anti-war position.

Some individual opposition or anti-war candidates are still contesting seats in single-member districts.

However, the broader political field remains heavily restricted.

Reuters reported that many anti-war candidates were excluded from the ballot and that members of Yabloko who had opposed the war faced imprisonment or other legal pressure.

This has limited the range of political positions represented in the election.

United Russia remains the dominant parliamentary party

The ruling United Russia party currently controls about two-thirds of the State Duma.

Other parties participating in the election include the Communist Party, Liberal Democratic Party, A Just Russia and New People, among smaller political groups and independent candidates.

Several of those parties have supported major elements of the Kremlin’s policies, including its position on the war in Ukraine.

The election therefore involves competition among registered parties and candidates, but the range of political alternatives available to voters has been narrowed by restrictions on some opposition groups.

Electronic voting expands

Electronic voting is again playing a significant role in the election.

Russia has expanded online voting in recent years, allowing eligible voters in participating regions to cast ballots electronically rather than visiting physical polling stations.

The system is intended to make voting more accessible and increase participation.

However, electronic voting has also been part of wider disputes over election transparency. Critics have raised concerns about the ability of independent observers and outside analysts to verify electronic results, while Russian authorities maintain that the system is secure and reliable.

These competing assessments remain part of the wider debate over the credibility of the electoral process.

Turnout becomes an early focus

Turnout is one of the first indicators being watched as voting progresses.

The Central Election Commission reported that participation had reached about 30% by late Friday, including electronic voting, according to AP.

Authorities have extended voting across three days, partly to make participation easier across Russia’s vast territory and to accommodate electronic voting.

The final turnout figure will not be known until voting closes.

Voting also takes place in occupied Ukrainian territories

Another major point of international dispute is Russia’s decision to hold elections in Ukrainian territories it controls and claims to have annexed.

Russian authorities have included these areas in the electoral process and allocated parliamentary constituencies there. A 2025 Russian federal law establishing single-member constituencies included districts connected to Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as Crimea.

Ukraine rejects Russia’s territorial claims and has condemned the organisation of Russian elections in occupied Ukrainian territory.

The European Union has also criticised Russia’s electoral activities in the occupied areas, arguing that they violate international law.

Russia, meanwhile, treats the territories it claims as part of its electoral system.

Security concerns surround the vote

The election is taking place while Russian cities and regions continue to face security incidents linked to the war.

Ukraine has carried out drone attacks inside Russia, while Russian authorities have strengthened security around infrastructure and polling locations.

On Friday, Al Jazeera reported that Ukraine launched a large drone barrage as Russia opened its election, highlighting how the war continues to affect the domestic environment.

The conflict has also affected campaigning and political messaging.

For the Kremlin, maintaining normal political and administrative activity during wartime is an important part of its domestic messaging.

Putin’s role in the election

Although the election is formally a parliamentary contest rather than a presidential vote, Putin remains central to the political environment surrounding it.

Reuters reported that Putin has portrayed the election as a measure of national unity and public support for his policies, including the military campaign in Ukraine.

The president is not personally running for a Duma seat.

Instead, the result will determine the composition of the legislature that passes federal laws, approves the government’s prime ministerial nominee under Russia’s constitutional system and performs other parliamentary functions.

The State Duma consists of 450 deputies and operates as one chamber of Russia’s Federal Assembly alongside the Federation Council.

What happens after voting ends?

Polling is scheduled to close on September 20.

Election officials will then count votes and announce results for party-list and constituency contests.

The result will determine the membership of Russia’s next State Duma and provide an indication of participation in the country’s political system during the continuing war.

The election is also likely to remain under international scrutiny because of restrictions on opposition participation, electronic voting, voting in occupied Ukrainian territories and allegations concerning the fairness and transparency of the process.

Russian authorities reject accusations that the election is fundamentally illegitimate and maintain that the vote is being conducted under Russian electoral law.

The final assessment of the election will therefore depend not only on the announced results, but also on turnout, observation reports, voting procedures and how competing parties and international organisations assess the process.

For now, Russians have three days to cast ballots in the first parliamentary election held since the full-scale war in Ukraine began, with all 450 State Duma seats being contested.