Russia Holds First Parliamentary Election Since Ukraine Invasion Amid Economic Strain

Russians are heading to the polls in a three-day vote lasting from Friday to Sunday to elect members of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia's parliament. According to reporting by Al Jazeera, this marks the country's first parliamentary election since the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The vote takes place as the electorate faces a slowing economy and Ukrainian drone strikes targeting refineries and warehouses far from the front line.

In addition to the 450 seats in the State Duma—where half are filled by party lists and half via single-ballot races—voters are participating in local contests across the country. Balloting includes regional legislature elections in 39 regions, gubernatorial votes in 11 regions, and voting in areas of Ukraine occupied by Russia. Election officials have spread the process across three days to boost turnout among the 111 million eligible voters, and electronic voting has also been permitted.

United Russia, the governing party backing President Vladimir Putin, is widely expected to keep its dominant position in the parliament. Formed in 2001, the party secured more than two-thirds of the Duma's seats in the 2021 election. The party's candidate list is led by prominent political heavyweights, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. To bring in fresher faces, the party also featured war correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny as its third-highest-ranking official. Members of United Russia have pledged steadfast support for the war effort and Putin's goals in Ukraine.

While authorities present the election as an opportunity for public participation, critics argue that the outcome is largely predetermined because genuine political opposition has been barred from the ballot. The liberal Yabloko Party, which stood as the only registered political party opposing the war, was ordered removed from the ballot by the Supreme Court in August. The court cited reasons including its antiwar stance, though Yabloko candidates are still running in single-ballot races.

Alongside United Russia, several "systemic opposition" parties that generally vote in alignment with the government on key issues remain on the ballot. The Communist Party, led by 82-year-old Gennady Zyuganov, has maintained a major presence since the 1990s while avoiding direct criticism of Putin and supporting the war. The ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party is likewise expected to retain legislative influence, boasting multiple war veterans among its members. Additional parties on the ballot include A Just Russia, the New People Party, the Communists of Russia, the Party of Pensioners, the Green Party, the Party of Direct Democracy, and the Motherland Party.

Political analyst and independent journalist Alexander Bratersky noted that watching the race for second and third place will provide insight into public sentiment. Bratersky suggested to Al Jazeera that a strong showing for the Communist Party could signal voter anger over economic hardship and declining living standards. Meanwhile, the New People Party, viewed by analysts as a technocratic, middle-class alternative, may attract antiwar voters using it as a legal substitute following the removal of Yabloko.

Although the elections are viewed by some as routine, Bratersky emphasized their significance as the first national legislative vote since the Ukraine invasion. President Putin explicitly linked the elections to war support during an August party congress, stating that United Russia's primary duty is to secure victory. Past Duma elections won by United Russia have frequently faced disputes, with the 2011 vote triggering major street protests over allegations of vote-rigging, and independent monitors questioning the official tallies after the 2021 election. Russian authorities have consistently rejected claims of widespread fraud as independent and critical voices face continued exclusion from the ballot.