Putin's Party Achieves Record Result in Russian Elections with a Record 355 Out of 450 Seats in the Duma

The United Russia party, led by President Vladimir Putin, won a record 355 out of 450 seats in the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, according to preliminary results announced yesterday by Election Commission head Ella Pamfilova.

After nearly all votes were counted in the three-day election, in which no opposition parties to Putin participated, the results showed that the ruling party would secure a supermajority exceeding two-thirds, surpassing its previous record win in 2016 when it won 343 seats. This overwhelming majority means the party can amend the constitution if necessary.

The Kremlin stated that United Russia’s landslide victory in the parliamentary elections demonstrates that Russians are rallying around Putin, who has ruled Russia for 26 years.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and displaced millions, with its repercussions affecting the daily lives of Russians this year more than ever before. It has also severed relations between Moscow and the West. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists, “These indicators, of course, point to the highest level of unity within Russian society around the head of state.”

Putin had urged Russians to participate in the vote to support the military in Ukraine, while Moscow also organized voting in Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia. Pamfilova said voter turnout exceeded 59%, despite the “psychological pressure” the country is experiencing, as she described it. At a press conference in Moscow, she added, “Despite the exceptional situation, we succeeded in providing the highest level of security for these elections,” thanking security agencies for protecting the electoral process.

The elections took place amid an escalation of the war in Ukraine over recent months, with no diplomatic solution in sight. According to Russian state media, United Russia’s list of winners for the State Duma includes 49 veterans. The Kremlin is seeking to place military personnel who fought in Ukraine into positions of power upon their return.

While United Russia’s victory was not surprising in any way, the elections produced an unexpected result in the Novgorod region in western Russia, where the Yabloko party entered the regional parliament. The party’s Novgorod branch said on social media that it received approximately 12,000 votes, or more than 6% of the votes in the region, which was enough to secure a place in the regional legislature. The party stated, “Peace, freedom, and life without fear—these are the values that touched people’s hearts and souls.”

The Communist Party of Russia came in second, winning 40 seats in the State Duma, while the Liberal Democratic Party secured 25 seats. The New People party won 20 seats.