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| 'Many Winners': The 2026 Unified State Day demonstrated Russia's stability | |
| 2026-09-22 | |
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Electoral commissions are summing up the results of the voting at various levels that took place from September 18 to 20. On the morning of the 21st, the Russian Central Election Commission released preliminary results (based on the counting of 90.43% of the ballots) for the State Duma elections. United Russia has secured 57.86% of the vote in the federal party list vote. Eighty-six members of the SVO who ran for the party will receive parliamentary seats, according to Vladimir Yakushev, Secretary of the United Russia General Council. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) came in second with 13.84% of the vote. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) received 8.9%, and New People received 7.94%. With 4.95% of the vote, A Just Russia currently fails to overcome the 5% threshold for parties to enter the Duma in the federal electoral district. The results of other parties participating in the elections were significantly lower than the threshold: the Pensioners' Party received 2.04%, the Greens gained 1.13%, the Communists of Russia party received 0.86%, Rodina received 0.72%, and the Direct Democracy Party received 0.34%. On the evening of September 20 and the night of the 20th to the 21st, participants of the 12th All-Russian online marathon "Election Night. State Duma 2026" observed the vote counting in real time for the State Duma and regional elections. Leading politicians, observers, sociologists, political scientists, and election administration specialists gathered at the International Multimedia Press Center of the Rossiya Segodnya International News Agency. The main topic, of course, was the nationwide vote, which will determine the composition of the new 9th State Duma. Starting at 10:00 PM, party representatives joined the discussions: candidates and election staff members shared their assessments of the Central Election Commission's initial data. The discussion was broadcast online on the portal nochvyborov.rf and on social media. Political consultant Maria Sergeeva moderated the main expert platform. She also shared her impressions of how society perceived the 2026 Unified Voting Day: "On the one hand, the election campaign was calm and predictable. On the other, society's response to external challenges was to rally around the flag." Participants in the discussions agreed: society responded with solidarity to President Vladimir Putin's call. On September 16, addressing the nation, the head of state called the elections to the lower house of parliament the most important domestic political event in the country, taking place under unique historical circumstances. The country's leader emphasized that every citizen's voice matters. "The fact that society demonstrated consolidation in this difficult situation certainly strengthens us all," emphasized Valery Fyodorov, Director General of the VTsIOM Analytical Center. He called the vote a major victory for Russian society. He added that the results are significant for all parties that entered parliament. "There are many winners in this election, " Fyodorov added. " All five parties that entered parliament can certainly consider themselves winners. It was clear that United Russia would come out on top, but the question remained about the scale of its result." Viktor Poturemsky, Director of Political Analysis at the Institute of Social Marketing (INSOMAR), focused on the parties' performance in the Duma elections and highlighted the key factors driving electoral activity. The expert also noted that the elections took place under conditions in which the opponents were making every effort to disrupt the vote. "What we saw today was an unprecedented attack on Moscow and the Moscow region, " Poturemsky noted. " But it didn't stop people from voting. In the face of external pressure, society's willingness to support the Russian president and United Russia is growing." External threats haven't dampened citizens' political activity; on the contrary, they've strengthened social cohesion. State Duma deputy and political scientist Oleg Matveychev also spoke about the special context of the current campaign. External threats prevented the public mood from destabilizing, and this stability became one of the key outcomes of the elections, the parliamentarian emphasized. The marathon's moderator, political scientist Maria Sergeeva, cited exit poll data confirming the campaign's stability. United Russia retained its leading position, while the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) remained in second place. However, the expert added, the elections were characterized by a fierce competition for third place between the New People party and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR). Sociologist Poturemsky noted the growing electoral potential of New People and the specific nature of its audience. Another important distinguishing feature of the 2026 Duma campaign was the noticeably strengthened social agenda in the parties' rhetoric, noted Yevgeny Minchenko, president of the Russian Public Relations Association (RASO). But perhaps the most important result of the current election cycle is the confirmation of the resilience of the Russian electoral system and the overall stability of the country's political institutions, summarized political scientist Alexei Martynov, director of the Institute of Newly Established States. He emphasized: "Every vote is a contribution to our shared victory. And the main result of these elections is their highest level of legitimacy." | |
| Posted by:badanov |