Russian election chief says ruling party secured 349 seats in weekend legislative vote

Russia’s ruling United Russia party secured 349 out of 450 seats in the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, in last weekend’s legislative polls, the head of the country’s electoral authority said Friday.

In a Moscow press conference on the results of the Sept. 18-20 election, Ella Pamfilova said United Russia got 50.79% of the vote, followed by the Communist Party, which won 37 seats, while the Liberal Democratic Party, New People, and A Just Russia secured 23, 19, and 17 seats, respectively.

The Rodina party, as well as four independent candidates, won a single seat apiece in the State Duma, she added.

Voter turnout was 59.8%, and some 67.4 million people voted, she said, adding that over 7 million people within Russia voted remotely via e-voting.

Pamfilova said over 280,000 people took part in the elections from abroad, and 333 polling stations were opened in 152 countries.

The percentage of invalid ballots was 1.36%, and the results of regional elections in one district in the Kirov region were declared invalid, she said.

The election, held on Sept. 18-20, was Russia's first parliamentary vote since 2022 and was held amid the ongoing Ukraine war. Voting also took place in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine, a move condemned by Kyiv and some Western governments.