{
  "id": 14216994,
  "title": "The State Duma Election as an Anti-Plebiscite",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/the-state-duma-election-as-an-anti-plebiscite",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-26T06:08:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Riddle Russia",
    "slug": "riddle-russia",
    "url": "https://ridl.io/the-state-duma-election-as-an-anti-plebiscite/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The recent State Duma election was conducted with a heavy focus on mobilizing voters through employers and public-sector institutions, according to the Central Election Commission. United Russia emerged as the victor, garnering 58% of the vote, while the Communist Party followed with 13.67%, the Liberal Democratic Party received 9%, and New People secured 8%. Just Russia managed to cross the 5% threshold with the help of an unexpected influx of 60,000 votes. These figures drastically deviate from public sentiment, as indicated by pollster VTsIOM, which recorded United Russia's lowest rating in years at 27%. By election time, United Russia's support was estimated at 33% by the Public Opinion Foundation, significantly lower than the final announcement. The Kremlin's domestic policy team and regional administrations set records for election commission figures, which appear to diverge from public opinion more than ever before. The formula behind these records includes intensive mobilization, electoral fraud, and ballot stuffing. This combination makes it impossible to establish the actual turnout, United Russia's share of the vote, or the level of support for other parties. Mobilization through employers seriously distorts the results, particularly when it involves monitoring the voting behavior of pro-government candidates. Such voters might have behaved differently or abstained from voting. Additionally, a high percentage of voters cast their ballots on the first day, leading to unnatural patterns in statistical models. The Kremlin's domestic policy team initially aimed to mobilize dependent voters while keeping voluntary turnout low. However, Vladimir Putin's involvement shifted the emphasis towards record-breaking results, with every available means being employed to achieve them. The Kremlin's electoral procedures are not designed to uncover public opinion or secure approval, but rather to demand support from dependent voters through pressure and threats. Once the results are known, they are used to justify decisions made long ago, including potential mobilization, tax increases, and the continuation of the war. Unpopular measures are postponed until after the election to avoid damaging the authorities' ratings and minimize the risk of protests.",
  "summary": "Andrey Pertsev sums up the political week (September 21−25)",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}