United Russia Wins 58% in State Duma Election Amid Record Turnout
United Russia secured about 58% of the vote in Russia's State Duma election, with turnout reported at 59.3%, the highest since 2011. Officials said the results were achieved through extensive mobilization efforts.
United Russia, the ruling party, received roughly 58% of the vote in the recent State Duma election, according to the Central Election Commission. The Communist Party placed second with about 14%, the Liberal Democratic Party third with 9%, and New People fourth with 8%. A Just Russia cleared the 5% threshold after an initial shortfall was later corrected.
Official data showed turnout at 59.32%, the highest level since the 2011 parliamentary vote. Regional turnout varied widely, with 19 regions reporting at least 70% participation, while four regions fell below 40%.
Sources familiar with the presidential administration described a coordinated “corporate mobilization” campaign, in which managers at state-funded institutions were instructed to monitor and encourage voting among staff. Reports included instances of employees being asked to confirm their voting status in group chats and teachers being required to report both their own and their students’ parents’ turnout.
A political strategist linked to the administration said the turnout record was intended for inclusion in the president’s briefing and acknowledged that the figures were achieved through “very dirty means," suggesting that a modest turnout above 50% would have drawn fewer complaints.
United Russia also won at least 208 of the 225 single-member districts, with the Kremlin reserving another 16 districts for systemic opposition candidates. The party highlighted the election of 86 veterans of the war in Ukraine to the Duma.
The systemic opposition’s results aligned with expectations: the Communist Party fell to 14%, the Liberal Democratic Party and New People each received around 9% and 8% respectively, and A Just Russia entered parliament after a last-minute adjustment. No candidates associated with the “Smart Voting” anti-war initiative secured seats.
Yabloko, whose national list was excluded from the Duma race, won seats in the Novgorod regional legislature, preserving its privilege to field federal candidates without collecting signatures.