Proof that Russia’s 2026 State Duma elections were the dirtiest parliamentary elections of the Putin era

The final results of the State Duma election are not in yet. Russia’s Central Election Commission still has not published returns from every precinct: as of the evening of September 23, data for the Leningrad region and the occupied regions were missing. Even so, the available figures show how this election differs from previous ones. It was the least fair Duma election of the Putin era, yet it looks more “normal” than the 2024 presidential election. And, surprisingly, United Russia’s support appears to have barely changed since 2021. Here is a closer look.