Russia’s parliamentary election: Who’s on the ballot, and why it matters
Summary
Russians are voting in a three-day election to choose members of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, amid ongoing war in Ukraine and economic difficulties. The ruling United Russia party, which supports President Putin and the war, is expected to keep its majority, while genuine opposition parties have limited or no participation.Key Facts
- The election runs from Friday through Sunday and includes voting for local governors and regional legislatures.
- Over 111 million Russians are eligible to vote, including people in territories Russia occupies in Ukraine.
- Half of the 450 State Duma seats are decided by party lists, the other half by individual races.
- United Russia, the pro-Putin party, has controlled parliament since 2001 and won two-thirds of seats in 2021.
- United Russia’s top candidates include Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
- Opposition party Yabloko, which opposes the war, was removed from the main ballot by the Supreme Court.
- The Communist Party supports the war and is competing to gain second place in the election.
- Other “systemic opposition” parties generally agree with the government on key issues.
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