Putin's party wins again as expected. So why does Russia still hold elections?

Russians went to the polls. The votes were counted. Russian President Putin's party United Russia won again, and comfortably.The result itself was hardly the mystery. The more interesting question is why Russia still goes through the elaborate business of elections when the system makes a genuine change of power extremely unlikely.Because in Russia, an election may not simply be about choosing who governs. It can also tell the Kremlin who is turning up, where support is weakening, which regional leaders can deliver and how well the machinery is working. But first, a simpler question: does a Russian vote actually matter?Putin's ruling United Russia party won 57.83% of the vote, according to Russia's Central Election Commission, with more than 95% of ballots counted. The result gives United Russia 355 of the 450 seats in the State Duma, preserving its constitutional majority.