Putin maintains grip on Russia as party leads wartime parliamentary elections

In Russia's recent parliamentary election, President Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party maintained its stronghold on the country's political landscape. The three-day vote, which took place from Friday to Sunday, saw a turnout of 56.66% and a vast electorate of 111 million eligible voters. As of the count of over 58% of precincts, United Russia had secured nearly 58% of the party-list votes and led in most single-seat races, positioning itself for a majority in the 450-seat State Duma.

The election featured electronic voting and included Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, such as parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, along with Crimea. United Russia has dominated parliament since Putin's rise to power, winning 324 of 450 seats in 2021. Four other established parties were also expected to retain their seats and generally support the Kremlin's policies.

The final day of voting coincided with a surge of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia, with the defense ministry claiming to have intercepted 1,110 Ukrainian drones. Moscow's electronic voting system was targeted by cyberattacks, leading to glitches and opposition allegations of irregularities. Despite these challenges, Russian authorities insisted that the electoral system functioned normally.

Opposition parties reported denied access to polling stations and the denial of paper ballots for some voters. Russia declined to invite OSCE election observers, citing "double standards."