Russia's 2021 legislative elections maintained a ruling supermajority amid widespread allegations of systemic fraud.

Countries & Cities · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Held over three days in September 2021, Russia's parliamentary elections saw the ruling United Russia party retain its constitutional control of the State Duma. Despite official results, the process faced intense scrutiny, with critics and independent monitors reporting ballot-stuffing, coerced voting, and the systematic exclusion of prominent opposition figures from ballots.

The 2021 election determined the composition of all 450 seats in the State Duma, split evenly between party-list proportional representation and single-member constituencies. While United Russia secured 324 seats, the Communist Party, A Just Russia, the Liberal Democratic Party, and the newly represented New People faction filled the remaining seats. This result occurred against a backdrop of declining public support for the ruling party, which had fluctuated between 25% and 35% since 2018, following controversial pension reforms.

The pre-election period was marked by a significant crackdown on dissent. Authorities designated various independent media and monitoring groups, such as Golos, as foreign agents. Furthermore, the government effectively barred allies of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny from running by labeling their organizations as extremist. The state also pressured international tech companies, including Google and Apple, to remove applications and content related to 'Smart Voting,' a tactical strategy designed to consolidate opposition support against pro-Kremlin candidates.

International oversight was notably absent. For the first time since 1993, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe declined to send a full monitoring mission, citing major limitations imposed by Russian authorities. The election also introduced remote electronic voting in several regions, a move that sparked immediate controversy and accusations of vote-rigging from opposition parties, particularly in Moscow. Statisticians and political observers have since attributed the final outcomes to mass electoral fraud, fueling post-election protests.

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