Russia’s 2026 parliamentary election has no meaningful competition. Independent observers still plan to document how paper and online results diverge.

In the summer of 2026, Yabloko — the only party representing Russia’s anti-establishment opposition and one that had campaigned against the war — was barred from the State Duma elections. Yabloko candidates running in single-member districts also faced obstacles, and the authorities managed to remove some from the race. There is no longer any meaningful political competition in the upcoming vote, especially because Moscow and dozens of other regions use remote electronic voting, which the author...