Russia begins 3 days of voting in a parliamentary election set to cement the Kremlin’s power

Russians on Friday (September 18, 2026) began three days of voting in the country’s first wartime parliamentary election, which features virtually no opposition and is all but certain to secure the Kremlin’s political dominance.

Authorities spread the election over the weekend, ending Sunday (September 20, 2026), in a bid to boost turnout among the 111 million eligible voters, and they even allowed electronic balloting.

The Kremlin wants the parliamentary election — the first since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — to underline public support for the war and give a veneer of legitimacy to its actions. It has sought to avoid any political risks by stamping out even the slightest sign of dissent.