Story perspectives

Russia’s Duma Election Draws 113 Million Voters

By Drooid · Sep 19, 2026, 10:00 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Russia held a three-day State Duma election from 18 September to 20 September 2026.
Soldiers escorted ballot boxes in occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, creating intimidation.
More than 113 million eligible voters cast ballots for 450 Duma seats and regional posts.
The Central Election Commission reported over four million early votes and 2.5 million remote ballots on day one.
President Vladimir Putin voted online from the Kremlin and urged citizens to participate.

History

Historical Context

After Russian forces seized Crimea in February 2014, a March 16 referendum—deemed illegal by Ukraine and the UN—showed about 95.5 % support for joining Russia with an 83 % turnout. That vote set a precedent for using polls to legitimize territorial claims, a pattern repeated in the 2026 State Duma election where Putin voted online and Central Election Commission reported over four million ballots from occupied Donetsk and Luhansk.

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Story summary

Russia held a three-day State Duma election from 18 September to 20 September 2026.
Soldiers escorted ballot boxes in occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, creating intimidation.
More than 113 million eligible voters cast ballots for 450 Duma seats and regional posts.
The Central Election Commission reported over four million early votes and 2.5 million remote ballots on day one.
President Vladimir Putin voted online from the Kremlin and urged citizens to participate.

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