People vote on the last day of the three-day parliamentary election in Moscow on Sept 19, 2021. (NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA / AFP)
President Vladimir Putin’s ruling party is set to win a decisive victory in legislative polls.
While Putin personally retains broad support, according to polls, his United Russia party recorded some of the lowest ratings in nearly a decade earlier this year.
United Russia holds nearly three quarters of the State Duma's 450 seats. That dominance last year helped the Kremlin pass constitutional reforms that allow Putin to run for two more terms as president after 2024
Official results from the Sept 17-19 vote are expected Monday. Polling was extended to three days and online voting expanded. The Central Election Commission reported voter turnout at 35.7 percent as of 10:00 am Moscow time on Sunday.
The party that backs Russia's 68-year-old leader faces a ratings slump, state pollsters say, but remains more popular than its closest rivals on the ballot, the Communist Party and nationalist LDPR party, which often back the Kremlin.
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United Russia holds nearly three quarters of the State Duma's 450 seats. That dominance last year helped the Kremlin pass constitutional reforms that allow Putin to run for two more terms as president after 2024, potentially staying in power until 2036.
Russian authorities earlier this year mounted a fierce crackdown after tens of thousands of people rallied in cities across Russia in January following the imprisonment of opposition leader Alexey Navalny.
The Kremlin denies a politically-driven crackdown and says individuals are prosecuted for breaking the law.
Navalny's camp is promoting a tactical voting ploy against United Russia – which boils down to supporting the opponent most likely to win in each district regardless of their platform – that authorities want blocked online.
The election runs until 1800 GMT on Sunday when polling stations close in the European exclave of Kaliningrad. It is the last national vote before the 2024 presidential election.
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In Moscow, Navalny's tactical voting campaign has recommended their supporters vote for politicians like the Communist Party's Mikhail Lobanov. He said he welcomed the Navalny campaign and criticized United Russia.
