Russian Vote Exposes Chinks in Putin’s Armor
United Russia dominated this weekend's regional and gubernatorial votes, but winning isn't getting easier.
Counting votes at a polling station in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk.
Photographer: Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images
Final results are trickling in after voters across Russia cast ballots this weekend in local, regional and gubernatorial elections. The ruling United Russia party is declaring victory, with Kremlin-supported candidates sweeping all governorships that were up for grabs. Yet there’s plenty for President Vladimir Putin to worry about too in what’s considered a dry run for the 2021 parliamentary elections, from a handful of wins for a galvanized opposition to indications the cost of victory is rising.
Regional and local polls — always harder to massage and coordinate than a single, national race — have become expressions of disaffection in Russia, a trend amplified since 2019 by anti-corruption campaigner Alexey Navalny’s tactical voting strategy. That trend was expected to be even more evident this year, given a shrinking economy, a pandemic still taking its toll and lackluster oil prices. As I’ve written before, protests in far-flung regions in Russia and in neighboring Belarus, combined with the dramatic poisoning of Navalny last month, made matters worse.