Kennan Institute Distinguished Speaker Series

The recent Duma elections confirmed popular support for Vladimir Putin and his party, but also showed growing voter apathy, with a significant portion of the Russian population choosing to stay home. In contrast to the dramatic fallout 5 years ago, the 2016 results were met with a more muted response, both at home and abroad. In 2011, independent electoral researcher Sergey Shpilkin used precinct-level data across the country to estimate the scale of ballot stuffing. Now, Shpilkin has analyzed the latest election and shared his insights and what they mean about the shape of Russian politics for the next five years.