September 27, 2026

Voice by Vote


Voice by Vote
Nikolai Rybakov casts his ballot. RFE/RL

Russia's Duma elections, held last week, had few surprises. As expected, President Vladimir Putin's United Russia won with a record 58% plurality, granting the ruling party a clear majority in the legislature. Opposition parties were left with just scraps; the only anti-war party, Yabloko, was banned from participating. 

The political repression on display doesn't mean, however, that dissident voices were completely quashed.

Independent outlet Govorit NeMoskva highlighted a handful of ways dissidents presented their opinions at the ballot box, even if the methods were unofficial.

According to Govorit NeMoskva, some voters posted dissenting ballots with messages against the regime on social media. Common slogans scrawled included "Bring all the men home," "Exchange everyone for everyone," and "No to war!"

One anti-war blogger in Penza who had documented the forced enlistment of his neighbors and their deployment to the front in Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine wrote in his ballot, "Putin is a dickhead" and "United Russia can go f*** itself." He was reportedly detained over the incident and was given 14 days of administrative arrest.

In addition, a journalist in Vladimir was fined R30,000 ($356) for writing "No to war! For peace!" on his ballot. Officials at an election site noticed the defaced ballot inside the transparent box and pursued him.

Perhaps the highest-profile message was written by the head of Yabloko, the party excluded from this year's election over a technicality. Nikolai Rybakov wrote "Yabloko: For peace" on his ballot.

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