Russia held elections for all 450 State Duma seats from September 18 to 20, alongside regional and local contests. United Russia won 355 seats, while voting in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia became a focus of dispute over the vote’s legality and whether participation reflected residents’ free choice.
Summary written by our automated pipeline from the outlets' reporting. How it works
Grouped by where each speaker is from. Quotation marks are the speaker's own words; other lines are our summaries.
The head of state had described the State Duma election as the country's most important domestic political event.
Our summary of RIA Novosti
Pamfilova said that media representatives at polling stations add transparency to the electoral process and help reduce distrust in it.
Our summary of RIA Novosti
“…это как дополнительный элемент прозрачности избирательного процесса, помогает нам снизить и уровень недоверия к избирательному процессу”
Machine translation: “…this is an additional element of transparency in the electoral process; it helps us reduce the level of distrust in the electoral process as well”
Residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics and the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions participated actively in the further development of the state and its political system by voting in the elections.
Our summary of RIA Novosti
In parliament
Kastyukevich said the turnout showed that residents considered themselves part of Russia and tied their future and development to it.
Our summary of RIA Novosti
“Это говорит о том, что жители уже давно считают себя частью большой России и связывают с ней свое будущее, развитие для себя и детей.”
Machine translation: “This shows that residents have long considered themselves part of big Russia and connect their future and development for themselves and their children with it.”
Kastyukevich said elections in the historical regions had very high turnout despite what he described as intimidation and provocations by Ukraine's armed forces.
Our summary of RIA Novosti
“Выборы в исторических регионах прошли с крайне высокой явкой, несмотря на постоянные запугивания и провокации со стороны ВСУ.”
Machine translation: “Elections in the historical regions took place with extremely high turnout, despite constant intimidation and provocations by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
Regional and local government
“This unprecedented attack was clearly planned with the aim of disrupting the elections.”
Quoted in Fox News
The Moscow Region Election Commission said that 3,198,015 voters participated, a turnout of 51.58%.
Our summary of RIA Novosti
Political parties
“They are crucial for him because they demonstrate that the majority supports the main party, the party of war, and that he has legitimacy for further escalation and the…”
Quoted in Deutsche Welle
Yabloko is encouraging voters to spoil their ballots.
Our summary of Deutsche Welle
Pushilin described participation in the State Duma election as the last political step in integrating Donetsk Oblast into Russia.
Our summary of The Kyiv Independent
Kyiv said that voting in the regions was illegal.
Our summary of The Hindu, via Associated Press
Vlasyuk says elections, referendums, and districts cannot alter Ukraine's territorial status.
Our summary of Ukrinform, via Ukrinform
Ukraine says the elections are illegitimate and that their results and associated documents have no legal basis.
Our summary of Ukrinform, via Ukrinform
ATESH alleged that commanders of Russia's 291st Motor Rifle Regiment used identities of soldiers killed in Ukraine to cast ballots for United Russia in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast after the unit missed a voting target.
Our summary of The Kyiv Independent
Points where outlets or parties give conflicting facts or readings. Each side is summarised by our pipeline; its sources are listed under it.
Putin said strong participation showed public support for the authorities.
“Such strong public involvement – with a record number of people coming to polling stations to vote – shows that the people of Russia support our efforts aimed at strengthening the…”
Ukraine and the EU said the vote in those territories was illegal; the EU said it would not recognize the vote or its results.
Our summary of The Kyiv Independent
European Union · our summary of The Kyiv Independent
Russian officials described residents as voting in their historical homeland and treated participation as part of integrating the territories into Russia.
Denis Pushilin, Head of Russian occupation administration · our summary of The Kyiv Independent
Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson · our summary of RIA Novosti
Reactions from other countries and bodies, others involved, and commentary.
Wang said the election results fully demonstrated the common will of the Russian people.
Our summary of CGTN · also 1 other outlet
“Russia’s refusal to invite an election observation mission seriously breaches its international commitments and shows a worrying disregard for democratic standards.”
Quoted in Fox News
Navalnaya and Katz are urging supporters to vote for any party other than United Russia to reduce its election result.
Our summary of Deutsche Welle
ExtremeScan says 18% of Russians would have voted for Yabloko.
Our summary of Deutsche Welle
“They want to show that the population of the occupied territories supports Russia's political course and is part of the Russian reality.”
Quoted in The Kyiv Independent
The European Union said Russia's elections in occupied Ukrainian territory violated international law and that it would recognize neither the vote nor its results.
Our summary of The Kyiv Independent
“Russians are ready to support, symbolically, Putin, the Kremlin and the war, but if they have to pay a personal price, or even [an] economic price, they are unwilling to do that.”
Quoted in Fox News
“Ostensibly framed as a security measure against Ukrainian partisan strikes, this is about direct intimidation, and it is a flagrant violation of international law”
Quoted in Fox News
“The State Duma elections give the Kremlin a chance to manufacture the appearance of public support… not only for United Russia, but for continuing Putin’s aggression in Ukraine.”
Quoted in Fox News
“The Kremlin is confident it can fabricate whatever figures it needs.”
Quoted in Deutsche Welle
Each outlet's headline, linked to its article. Non-English headlines are machine-translated. The groupings and notes on what each outlet emphasises are automated.
Written by our automated pipeline from the statements in the coverage; each point lists the statements it rests on.
The three-day election filled all 450 State Duma seats and took place alongside thousands of other contests for elected positions.
United Russia won 57.83% of the party-list vote and 355 of the 450 seats, retaining a constitutional majority.
Our summary of Ukrainska Pravda, via Reuters
Voting in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia was presented by Russian officials as political integration, while Ukraine and the European Union rejected it as illegal.
Our summary of The Kyiv Independent
Denis Pushilin, Head of Russian occupation administration · our summary of The Kyiv Independent
European Union · our summary of The Kyiv Independent
Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson · our summary of RIA Novosti
Critics questioned whether the election offered genuine competition and free choice, citing the exclusion of anti-war opposition and allegations of coercion and manipulation.
Our summary of CNews
Our summary of CNews
Alena Lunova · our summary of The Kyiv Independent
ATESH, ATESH movement · our summary of The Kyiv Independent
French coverage: CNews focused on the limited field of permitted competitors, the exclusion of Yabloko, early vote figures, and the absence of OSCE observers.
Russian state media: TASS and RIA Novosti emphasized official turnout, the election timetable and results, and Russian officials’ account of participation in the newly claimed territories.
Ukrainian coverage: The Kyiv Independent and Ukrainska Pravda emphasized the vote’s rejection by Ukraine, its use to legitimize control of occupied territories, and allegations of coercion or manipulation.
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A polling station during Russia’s State Duma election, September 18, 2016. The photo shows polling tables and ballot boxes at precinct election commission No. 768.
File:УИК №768 (2016-09-18).jpg · Krassotkin · CC0
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CreatorCreative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
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