Full Breakdown
United Russia Secures Supermajority in Russia’s 2026 State Duma Election
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Outcome
Preliminary figures from the Central Election Commission (CEC) show United Russia winning 355 of the 450 State Duma seats, a constitutional two-thirds majority. The party-list vote was about 57 % of ballots, with the Communist Party at roughly 14 % and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) near 9 %. Turnout was placed above 59 % by CEC chair Ella Pamfilova.
Background & Context
The September 2026 election is the first parliamentary vote since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. All parties on the ballot support President Vladimir Putin’s war stance; the anti-war Yabloko party was barred weeks before the vote, and opposition figures such as Lev Shlosberg have been sentenced under the “fake news” law.
Data & Statistics
- Seat projection: United Russia – 355; Communist Party – 40; LDPR – 25; New People – 20.
- Party-list vote share (preliminary): United Russia – 57 % (range 57.04 %–57.86 %); Communist Party – 13.8 %–14 %; LDPR – 8.7 %–9 %; New People – 7.9 %–8 %.
- Turnout: “more than 59 %” (Pamfilova); earlier state-television figures cited 57 %.
- Online voting: over 3.6 million votes cast via the internet, including residents of annexed Ukrainian regions.
Criticism & Opposition
- Alexander Morozov (political scientist): warned that the new Duma will function as a “State Duma of War,” predicting intensified repression and suggesting it will bolster Putin’s bid for the 2030 presidential election.
On-the-Ground Reports
During the final day of voting, Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale drone raid that struck the Moscow region and a Russian-held part of Kherson. The attack involved roughly 1,600 drones, 450 of which were directed at the capital. It killed two people, injured several others, and set an oil refinery ablaze.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on United Russia’s exact vote share: Bloomberg cites 57.04 % (25.21 % counted), Al Jazeera 57.86 % (90.43 % counted), Euronews 57.5 % (71 % counted), and Newsnote 57.83 % (95.18 % counted). Turnout figures also vary between 57 % and “more than 59 %.” The CEC says complete results will be announced later in the week.
Verbatim Quotes
- “That is probably the most important outcome,” — Putin’s al, according to the regional governor and the election commission
What’s Next
- The CEC plans to release preliminary results on Monday and final certification later in the week.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after praising the drone strikes, spoke by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump; the two leaders are expected to meet in New York soon.
- Russian officials have signaled readiness to “intensify” retaliatory strikes against Ukrainian targets following the election-week attacks.