Russia’s Election Concludes: Key Highlights from the Three-Day Vote

The three-day voting period (September 18–20) has concluded. Russian voters elected members of the ninth State Duma, regional governors, deputies to regional legislatures, and municipal councilors. A total of more than 20,000 seats and electoral positions across the country were up for renewal.

In gubernatorial elections, leaders were chosen for 11 regions. Eight subjects—Mordovia, Tuva, Chechnya, Belgorod Oblast, Bryansk Oblast, Penza Oblast, Tver Oblast, and Ulyanovsk Oblast—held direct elections for their governors. In Karachay-Cherkessia and North Ossetia, regional governors were selected by local parliaments. The governor of Dagestan will be appointed by the regional parliament in a subsequent session.

Additionally, legislative elections were held in 39 federal subjects, and city council elections took place in 10 regional capitals.

Voter Turnout

Data from the Central Election Commission of Russia indicate that turnout on the first day was 29.45%; after two days, cumulative turnout reached 44.38%. Following the closure of all polling stations, the national voter turnout stood at 56.66%, surpassing the 51.7% recorded in the 2021 elections.

Residents of the Donbas and Novorossiya regions participated in State Duma elections for the first time. For security reasons, early voting was arranged for voters in these areas.

Over 212,000 Russian citizens abroad cast ballots, with voting centers located in 152 countries.

Cybersecurity and Incident Reports

A significant aspect of this election cycle was the reported cyberattacks targeting electoral infrastructure. Ella Pamfilova, Chair of the Central Election Commission, stated that over 13,000 DDoS attacks originating from foreign IP addresses were detected, linked to Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, and India. She confirmed that no successful breaches occurred.

Additionally, Moscow’s electronic voting system thwarted an attempt by a political party representative to implant malicious software.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported large-scale drone and “Firebird” missile attacks on Moscow during the voting period. The ministry stated that all incoming missiles were intercepted and destroyed before reaching the city.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1876922617765955/

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