OMM Redaksiyası
Russia’s 2026 parliamentary elections will determine all 450 seats in the State Duma, with deputies elected for five-year terms.
Half of the seats will be allocated through nationwide party lists, while the remaining 225 seats will be decided in single-member constituencies.
According to a poll conducted by the state-affiliated VTsIOM polling center in late August, the ruling United Russia party is far ahead of its rivals. Some 37.2% of respondents said they supported the party, while the Communist Party ranked second with 11.6%.
United Russia currently holds 310 seats in the State Duma. Its final seat tally will be closely watched because at least 300 mandates are needed to retain a constitutional supermajority, allowing constitutional amendments to be approved without support from other parties.
Four other parties, including the Communist Party and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, are also expected to return to the State Duma.
The Supreme Court has barred the liberal Yabloko party from taking part in the elections under the party-list system. However, some of its candidates remain eligible to run in single-member constituencies.
The participation of organizations monitoring the election will also be closely watched. Russia has not invited the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to observe the 2026 parliamentary elections.
The OSCE has expressed concern over Russia’s decision not to invite its observers. The organization has previously highlighted restrictions on candidates, campaign financing and oversight of the electoral process.
Russian authorities have rejected criticism of the election process, saying the vote will be conducted in accordance with Russian law.
Voting is also planned in Crimea and in parts of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions that are under Russian control.
The elections will be the first Russian parliamentary vote since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022. The distribution of seats, the participation of opposition candidates and the presence of international observers are expected to be among the main issues drawing attention.
