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Yabloko Barred From Duma Ballot Ahead of Vote

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 2:30 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Russia held a three-day parliamentary election for the 450-member State Duma, 18-20 September 2026.
The Supreme Court excluded Yabloko from the party-list ballot, restricting it to a few constituencies.
Voting occurred in Russia-controlled Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Crimea, which Kyiv calls illegal.
Electronic voting machines malfunctioned at several Moscow polling stations on day one, leading to temporary paper ballots.

History

Historical Context

On 4 December 2011 United Russia won 49.32 % of the vote (238 seats) in the State Duma election, a result that sparked nationwide protests over alleged fraud. Since then the Kremlin has tightened control, and in the 2026 three-day poll the Supreme Court barred Yabloko from the party list while voting continued in occupied territories, extending the pattern of suppression.

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Story summary

Russia held a three-day parliamentary election for the 450-member State Duma, 18-20 September 2026.
The Supreme Court excluded Yabloko from the party-list ballot, restricting it to a few constituencies.
Voting occurred in Russia-controlled Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Crimea, which Kyiv calls illegal.
Electronic voting machines malfunctioned at several Moscow polling stations on day one, leading to temporary paper ballots.

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