The first day of three-day elections has begun in Russia. Where and who are Russians electing?

The first day of three-day elections has begun in Russia as part of the Unified Voting Day, during which more than two dozen elections of governors, regional legislative assemblies, city councils, mayors and by-elections to the State Duma will take place. Voting is also taking place in the Kursk Region, which is suffering from the invasion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Where else and how Russians vote is in the Lenta.ru article.

According to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Russia, about four thousand campaigns will be held in 83 regions of the country, during which more than 35 thousand mandates will be filled. About 55 million citizens have the right to vote.

Voting in Kursk region

Following the invasion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces into the Kursk region, the Central Election Commission, for security reasons, postponed voting in municipal elections in the city of Lgov, as well as in six districts of the region: Belovsky, Bolshesoldatsky, Glushkovsky, Korenevsky, Sudzhansky and Khomutovsky.

The Kursk Region gubernatorial elections, which are also scheduled for 2024, were decided not to be postponed. Commenting on this decision, the head of the Central Election Commission Ella Pamfilova stated that for the region’s population “it is important to have a clear and defined government.” She added that “a period of anarchy in such cases, uncertainty, can lead to even more tragic consequences.”

The population of the evacuated territories of the Kursk region can vote in the gubernatorial elections at polling stations in other regions. In addition, voting is organized in places of temporary residence of residents.

Where else are regional leaders elected?

In addition to Kursk Oblast, elections of regional heads are taking place in 20 regions: Astrakhan, Volgograd, Vologda, Kaliningrad, Kemerovo, Kurgan, Lipetsk, Murmansk, Orenburg, Tula, Samara, Sakhalin, Chelyabinsk Oblasts, as well as in Zabaikalsky, Stavropol, Khabarovsk Krais, Bashkiria, Kalmykia, the Altai Republic and in St. Petersburg.

In addition, new leaders of a number of regions will be appointed by deputies of the legislative assemblies of these entities upon the proposal of the President of Russia. In 2024, the heads of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria and the Republic of Crimea will be determined in this way.

Elections of deputies of regional parliaments

In addition to governors, Russians elect deputies of 13 legislative assemblies of the federal subjects. The determination of new regional parliaments in 2024 is taking place in Moscow, Sevastopol, the Altai Republic, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, Mari El, Tyva, Tatarstan, the Republic of Crimea, Khabarovsk Krai, as well as in the Bryansk, Volgograd and Tula regions.

What other elections are taking place in the country?

By-elections to the State Duma in single-mandate constituency No. 35 are being held in Khakassia. They were appointed after United Russia deputy Sergei Sokol resigned early from his deputy powers in September 2023.

In two regions – Chukotka and Khakassia – they are electing mayors of administrative centers – the heads of Anadyr and Abakan.

Finally, residents of 21 more regional centers elect city council deputies. Among them are Khabarovsk, Ulan-Ude, Magas, Elista, Simferopol, Yoshkar-Ola, Vladikavkaz, Chita, Blagoveshchensk, Vologda, Irkutsk, Kurgan, Murmansk, Penza, Tula, Salekhard, Chelyabinsk, Birobidzhan, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Anadyr and Naryan-Mar.

You can vote until 20:00 local time. The single voting day will end on September 8 at 21:00 Moscow time, when the last polling stations close in the Kaliningrad region, the westernmost region of the country. The votes will then be counted.