State Duma elections-2026: who is participating and how the voting will take place
In the fall of 2026, elections of deputies of the ninth convocation of the State Duma will be held in Russia. For the first time, residents of four new regions of the country — Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions - will take part in the voting. In addition, Russian regions will elect governors and deputies of legislative assemblies. Read the Izvestia article about when the elections will be held, which parties will participate in the election campaign and how to vote.
When will the State Duma elections be held in 2026
Elections of State Duma deputies are scheduled for September 20, 2026. The voting will take place over three days, from September 18 to September 20. The relevant decree was signed by the President of Russia in mid-June and published on the official portal of legal information. The campaign takes place within the framework of a single voting day, which traditionally falls on the third Sunday of September.
The term of office of the deputies of the IX convocation will be five years — until September 2031. The organization and conduct of elections is provided by the Central Election Commission of Russia (CEC). It is the CEC that is responsible for registering candidates, monitoring compliance with legislation, and summarizing voting results.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the upcoming State Duma elections the most important political event in the country's life. At an operational meeting with permanent members of the Security Council, he also discussed additional security measures during the preparation and conduct of the vote.
Who participates in the elections
Political parties registered by the Central Election Commission participate in the elections of deputies of the State Duma in 2026. In total, 11 political associations are represented in the bulletin. Among them are five parliamentary parties: United Russia, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, the Liberal Democratic Party, Just Russia and New People. Six non-parliamentary parties are also participating in the elections. Among them are Yabloko, the Greens and Rodina, which have no factions in the lower house of parliament.
Before the start of the campaign, the CEC completed the acceptance of documents from political parties. After that, a drawing of lots was held, which determined the order of the parties' placement on the ballot. According to its results, the first three positions were taken by United Russia, Yabloko and the Liberal Democratic Party.
Next on the list are the Party of Direct Democracy, the Greens and Fair Russia. The Rodina Party is ranked seventh, followed by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, the Party of Pensioners and the Communists of Russia. Completing the list are the "New People" who received the 11th number.
At a meeting of the Central Election Commission, which took place immediately after the drawing of lots, the CEC members unanimously approved the procedure for placing names and emblems on the ballot. At the same time, the head of the Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova, noted that the result is unlikely to depend on the position on the form: voters' trust in a particular party and candidate remains decisive.
In addition to the party lists, a list of self-nominated candidates for single-mandate constituencies was also approved. A total of 80 candidates have been nominated in this order.
How can I vote on September 18-20
Traditional voting at polling stations remains the main thing. They will work daily for a set time. You can find your polling station on the website of the CEC of Russia by using the "Find your polling station" service. The search is available by address or site number.
Moscow residents will be able to vote at any polling station in the city using electronic voting terminals. In addition, citizens of the Republic of Mordovia, the Republic of Tyva, Bryansk, Penza, Tver and Ulyanovsk regions will have the opportunity to vote for senior officials of their regions in the capital.
Remote electronic voting (DEK) will also be available for the September elections. This format is provided in 33 regions. In most of them, you can vote on the federal platform (vybory.gov.ru ). To do this, you need to submit an application for "Public Services" before September 14 inclusive.
Residents of Moscow can cast their vote on the portal mos.ru from 08:00 on September 18 to 19:59 on September 20. The only thing you will need is a full account. Russian citizens who have reached the age of 18 can vote no later than September 20, 2026.
According to the press service of the Ministry of Digital Economy, the potential number of online voting participants may reach 48.4 million people.
The high interest in the election campaign is also confirmed by the data from the VTSIOM poll on the elections to the State Duma. As the single voting day approaches, attention to them is noticeably increasing. Thus, three months before the election, 65% of Russians declared their intention to vote, and more than half of the respondents (56%) had already decided on their choice.
How are mandates distributed after the State Duma elections?
In 2026, the electoral system remained the same — mixed (proportional-majority): 225 deputies are elected from party lists, 225 from single—mandate constituencies (one deputy from one district). The total number of deputies remains unchanged at 450. This number is fixed in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
To enter parliament, the party must overcome the five percent barrier. Only in this case it gets the right to participate in the distribution of mandates. A different principle applies in single-member districts. The candidate with a simple majority of votes wins. If two candidates receive an equal number of votes, the one who was registered earlier is considered elected.
The votes of the electors are summed up, after which the calculation is carried out according to the scheme prescribed in the federal law "On Elections of Deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation".
The basis for the allocation of seats is the so-called Hare method, developed in 1855 by the British lawyer Thomas Hare. The total number of votes cast for the parties is divided by 225, which is the number of seats in the federal district. The resulting value is used as a baseline indicator.
Next, the votes of each party are divided by this indicator. The whole part of the result determines the number of mandates received at the first stage. The remaining mandates are distributed among the parties with the largest fractional part. This allows us to more accurately take into account the will of the voters.
When will the results be available
The counting of votes begins immediately after the polling stations close. In the evening, the first preliminary data appears in the information systems. However, the final results are summarized later.
The CEC will determine the overall results for the federal district no later than two weeks after the last day of voting, that is, approximately no later than October 4, 2026.
The results are expected to be officially published in due course by October 11, 2026. Only after that, the elections will be considered fully completed.
Who else will be chosen on a single voting day in 2026
Elections to the State Duma are held simultaneously with other campaigns. On a single voting day in 2026, Russians will choose the heads of eight regions. In three regions — Karachay-Cherkessia, Dagestan and North Ossetia — the heads will be elected by parliaments. The candidates are submitted by the President of Russia.
In addition, elections of deputies of legislative assemblies will be held in 39 regions. Elections of deputies of local self—government of cities - regional centers are planned in 10 more regions.
At the same time, in regions with difficult operational conditions, online voting will be abandoned and additional forms of voting will be used, including voting at home, on house territories and in remote settlements.
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