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 […]
Putin’s Party to Institutionalize Fake Election Observation Ahead of 2026 Duma ”Elections”
In January 2026, the United Russia party announced plans to establish a party-controlled “network of professional international observers,” dismissing established, international election monitoring organizations such as OSCE/ODIHR as “provocative” and replacing them with bilateral party-to-party arrangements. According to Andrey Klimov, a member of United Russia’s supreme council bureau, one such deal is already being finalized […]
REM: Electoral expert on preparations for Russia’s 2026 State Duma elections
In 2026, Russia will hold its second most significant electoral event after the presidential vote — elections to the State Duma. At the same time, voters will also elect regional governors (in at least seven regions, including Chechnya), regional legislative assemblies (in 39 regions, including St. Petersburg, the Moscow and Leningrad regions), and city councils […]
REM: Election Update December 2025
Main political developments in Russia continue to revolve around preparations for the 2026 State Duma campaign. Within the presidential administration, discussions focus on the desired configuration of the party system and the electoral scenarios the Kremlin may pursue. The key source of uncertainty remains Russia’s nearly four-year war against Ukraine and the growing public fatigue — a factor […]
REM: Election update October 2025
Late September and early October marked the start of preparations for the 2026 State Duma campaign in Russia. Both the Kremlin and the opposition are already gearing up for the vote. The systemic opposition — parties represented in parliament — is analyzing its performance in the September regional elections, while the non-systemic opposition is seeking […]
Russian authorities shelve plans for mass rollout of electronic voting
Russian authorities have decided to scale back the use of remote electronic voting (REV), which is no longer seen as a priority project. According to the outlet Verstka, the system will not be widely deployed in the State Duma elections scheduled for 20 September 2026. There are several reasons for that. Firstly, the Kremlin is reportedly […]
