Pro-Putin United Russia Party Retains Constitutional Majority in National Parliamentary Elections

Pro-Putin ruling party United Russia has retained its decisive majority in Russia’s national parliament following a three-day electoral process that concluded on Monday, September 21, 2026. According to near-complete election results, the anti-war Yabloko party also managed to secure a tiny regional foothold in a local contest.

President Vladimir Putin had framed the parliamentary elections for the State Duma — the first national legislative vote since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022 — as a key test of public support for the military conflict. Concurrent elections were also held for various regional parliaments and regional governors.

Operating within a tightly controlled political environment that critics argue excludes genuine political dissent, the election yielded few major surprises. Authorities emphasized that projecting a smooth and organized voting process was paramount to demonstrating national unity to international adversaries, despite opposition activists in exile alleging widespread vote-rigging.

With more than 95% of the ballots counted, Central Electoral Commission Chair Ella Pamfilova announced that United Russia had secured a resounding victory with 57.83% of the vote. This figure represents an increase from the 49.8% the party won during the previous parliamentary election held in 2021.

When factoring in individual constituency results, United Russia is projected to control 355 seats, translating to nearly 80% of the 450-seat State Duma. This maintains the party's constitutional majority, granting it the legislative power to pass laws and initiate constitutional amendments without relying on support from opposition parties.

Ms. Pamfilova reported that three additional parties cleared the threshold to enter the national parliament: the Communist Party with 13.81%, the ultra-nationalist LDPR with 8.98%, and the New People party with 7.96%. Meanwhile, the Just Russia party hovered just beneath the necessary 5% threshold, though election officials indicated it still held a strong chance of crossing the finish line.

Political analysts note that the parliamentary parties that secured seats alongside United Russia have consistently voted in alignment with the ruling party on major legislative issues in recent years. In regional contests, Ramzan Kadyrov, a prominent ally of President Putin, secured his fifth term as the leader of Chechnya with an official vote tally approaching 100%.

Turnout among Russia’s estimated 111 million eligible voters reached 59.3%, which election officials described as a record high for this category of election. The final day of voting on Sunday, September 20, proceeded despite a heavy Ukrainian drone attack targeting Moscow. Ms. Pamfilova maintained that the election was conducted cleanly, dismissing external and exiled opposition criticism.

At the national level, the Yabloko party—recognized as the sole registered anti-war party in the country—failed to secure any seats in the State Duma, with many of its candidates having been barred from running prior to the vote. However, in Novgorod, situated approximately 480 kilometers northwest of Moscow, Yabloko appeared to clear the 5% barrier by roughly one percentage point after nearly 97% of local votes were counted.

Representatives for Yabloko stated that more than 12,000 residents in Novgorod supported the party, which campaigns on a platform advocating for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Party officials expressed that their platform championing peace, freedom, and a life free from fear resonated deeply with local voters.