Manufactured Legitimacy: Fake Observers at Russia’s 2026 State Duma Elections
The elections to Russia’s State Duma, held from 18 to 20 September 2026, were the first parliamentary elections since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This year’s so-called “Single Voting Day” took place in a tightly controlled political environment, without genuine competition and turnout managed through unprecedented pressure on voters and manipulations with e-voting, while election […]
Russian Election Monitor: Statement on the Russian election 2026
The Russian Election Monitor, a strategic partner of the EPDE, has published a statement on the 2026 State Duma elections. The original statement has been published in full on their website. The elections to Russia’s State Duma (ninth convocation, 2026–2031), held from 18 to 20 September 2026, were the first parliamentary elections since Russia’s full-scale […]
Russia’s Staged “Elections” in Occupied Ukrainian Territories Are Illegal, Illegitimate, and a Part of Warfare, not of Suffrage
EPDE condemns the Russian Federation’s plan to hold State Duma “elections” between 18 and 20 September 2026 in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories of Crimea, Sevastopol, and parts of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. We call on international institutions and media not to describe, cover, or treat this exercise as a genuine electoral process. […]
Russian Election Monitor: Regional Profiles of the Political Landscape, Electoral Data
Over the past few months, the Russian Election Monitor (REM), a strategic partner of the EPDE, has published regional profiles offering a comprehensive overview of the political landscape in Russia’s regions, including political history, local self-government, and up-to-date electoral data. The mapping is currently under development, with profiles published as they become available. So, far […]
Russian Election Monitor: Internet Down, Voting On – Russia’s Shutdowns and 2026 Duma Election
The Russian Election Monitor (REM), Strategic Partner of the EPDE, publishes in-depth coverage and analysis of Russian elections. More analytical pieces and updates about the 2026 State Duma Elections is published on REM’s website. Since mid-2025, tens of thousands of mobile internet shutdowns may have taken place across Russia, according to some estimates. Officially presented […]
Russian Election Monitor: 2026 State Duma Elections – Candidate Registration
The Election Atlas project reviews the nomination and registration of candidates for the State Duma elections. The registration process is formally not yet complete, but all party lists have already been registered. The only outstanding questions concern a small number of self-nominated candidates, the overwhelming majority of whom are unlikely to be registered. REM is publishing an […]
Russian Election Monitor: Supreme Court Bars Yabloko – Inside the Lawsuit and the Regime’s Fear of Losing Control
On August 10, the most pivotal event of the current Russian electoral cycle unfolded: Russia’s Supreme Court annulled the registration of the Yabloko party’s candidate list following a lawsuit filed by the Rodina party. While framed as a routine legal dispute, the verdict points to a broader systemic shift—the authorities’ growing fear of losing control over the […]
Russian Election Monitor: Update on Preparations for the State Duma Vote
The Russian Election Monitor published its latest Election Update on preparations for the 2026 State Duma elections. Russia is preparing for the State Duma vote. The newly appointed Central Election Commission (CEC) has announced that the voting will span three days — a norm in Russian elections since the COVID-19 pandemic — from 18 to 20 September […]
Russian Election Monitor: Kremlin’s new fake electoral observation ecosystem: From domestic mimicry to global scaling
The Russian State Duma elections in September 2026 will become a major testing ground for the Kremlin’s new institutionalized strategy of international observation. However, it seems that the ultimate goal is not the Duma elections as such, but the creation of a permanent, scalable model of authoritarian legitimation. On 14-15 April 2026, Moscow hosted the […]
Russian Election Monitor: “Fake Observation for Fake Elections. Now ‘International'”
The Kremlin has launched what it calls the first “independent international association” for electoral monitoring. Formed at a conference in Moscow with delegates from 60 countries, this body is designed to provide an alternative to Western observation standards, which Sergei Lavrov and Ella Pamfilova dismiss as “politicized.” Non-Interference or Non-Observation? The association’s primary goal is […]
