United Russia leads Russia’s State Duma election

17:29

By: Azzat Manal

United Russia leads Russia’s State Duma election

Russia’s ruling United Russia party is leading the country’s parliamentary election, according to preliminary results released by the Central Election Commission on September 21. With more than 95% of ballots counted, the party had secured 57.83% of the vote, maintaining its dominant position in the State Duma.

The Communist Party of the Russian Federation was in second place with 13.81%, followed by the Liberal Democratic Party with 8.98% and New People with 7.96%. A Just Russia was below the 5% threshold required for representation through the federal party-list vote, although final figures remained subject to further counting.

The election was held over three days, with polling stations closing on Sunday after voting took place across Russia and at locations abroad. The State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, has 450 seats, with part of the chamber elected through party lists and the remainder through single-member constituencies.

The latest figures also showed United Russia leading in 204 of the 225 single-member constituencies, according to election commission data. The Communist Party was ahead in six constituencies, while other parties and independent candidates were leading in a smaller number of districts.

The 2026 election is the first parliamentary vote in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. President Vladimir Putin had presented participation in the election as an important demonstration of national support, while Reuters reported that most anti-war candidates had been excluded from the ballot and that the political environment remained tightly controlled.

Russian authorities also reported cyberattacks against voting systems and communication networks during the election period. Officials said the attacks were contained and did not prevent the vote from proceeding.

The election also included voting by Russians living abroad. According to Russian authorities, polling stations were established in dozens of countries, allowing citizens outside the country to participate in the parliamentary vote.

The preliminary results indicate that United Russia will retain a dominant position in the next State Duma. With the final count still underway, the composition of the chamber will depend on the completion of both the party-list count and the results from individual constituencies.