ERBIL () - Voting is underway in Russia's parliamentary elections, with roughly 111 million eligible voters choosing members of the ninth State Duma during a three-day process that began on Sept. 18 and is scheduled to conclude on Sunday, Sept. 20. Reuters has independently confirmed the dates and that all 450 seats in the lower house of parliament are being contested.
Russian citizens can vote in person or through remote electronic voting where the system is available, a method that has become a prominent feature of this year's election.
The 450 members elected to the State Duma will serve five-year terms. Russia uses a mixed electoral system: 225 seats are allocated through nationwide party lists, while another 225 are decided in individual constituencies. Ten parties remain on the federal party-list ballot.
's Moscow office chief Xoshawi Mohammed spoke with voters who highlighted changes in the mechanics of casting ballots, particularly the increased use of electronic systems.
Alexander Sotnikov, who said he regularly participates in elections, contrasted the current process with earlier voting procedures that relied more heavily on printed voter lists.
"This year, because of modernization and the electronic system, passport information is quickly verified and the ballot is handed to the voter,"Sotnikov told, saying the changes had reduced waiting times.
Tatiana Pretyagina also told that she regarded participation as important for her children's future and encouraged younger people to take part.
"From my own experience and that of my friends, I can say that participating in elections brings change,"she said.
Another voter, Yelena Potorina, described the voting she witnessed as peaceful and encouraged others to cast ballots. Her description represented her personal assessment of the process.
Remote electronic voting recorded substantial participation during the first day.
Citing Russia's Digital Development Ministry, TASS reported that more than 2.8 million people had cast ballots through the federal remote electronic voting platform by 6:45 p.m. GMT on Sept. 18. That represented 70% of voters registered specifically for that platform, rather than 70% of Russia's overall electorate.
The ministry reported particularly high remote-voting participation among registered users in the Smolensk and Novgorod regions, followed by Mari El, Kostroma and Chuvashia.
The election is Russia's first parliamentary vote since the country launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Reuters reported that the political environment surrounding the election has also faced scrutiny, with most anti-war candidates excluded from the ballot. Russian authorities reject criticism of the electoral process and maintain that voting is conducted according to Russian law.
Voting continues across Russia's multiple time zones through Sunday, after which counting will determine the composition of the State Duma for the next five years.
