2011 Russian legislative election

none December 2019 Russian Federation parliamentary 60.10% ( 3.61 pp) 2007 Russian legislative election 2007 2016 Russian legislative election 2016 All 450 seats in the State Duma 226 4 December 2011 List of members of the 6th Russian State Duma ru Список депутатов Государственной думы Российской Федерации VI созыва elected members List of members of the 5th Russian State Duma ru Список депутатов Государственной думы Российской Федерации V созыва outgoing members Vladimir Putin and Elias Jaua, December 2011 (cropped).jpeg Vladimir Putin United Russia 64.30%, 315 seats 238 77 32,379,135 49.32% 14.98pp Gennady Zyuganov (2012-05-01) (cropped).jpg Gennady Zyuganov Communist Party of the Russian Federation 11.57%, 57 seats 92 35 12,599,507 19.19% 7.62pp Nikolay Levichev IF 09-2013 (1).jpg Nikolai Levichev A Just Russia 7.74%, 38 seats 64 26 8,695,522 13.24% 5.50pp Wladimir Schirinowski cropped.jpg Vladimir Zhirinovsky Liberal Democratic Party of Russia 8.14%, 40 seats 56 16 7,664,570 11.67% 3.53pp 2011 Russian legislative election map.svg Results by constituency Chairman Boris Gryzlov United Russia Sergey Naryshkin United Russia Legislative elections were held in Russia on 4 December 2011.Russian political parties to kick off pre-election debates http://en.ria.ru/russia/20111108/168513644.html RIA Novosti 8 November 2011 4 December 2011 At stake were the 450 seats in the 6th State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly (the legislature). United Russia won the elections with 49.32% of the vote, taking 238 seats or 52.88% of the Duma seats. This result was down from 64.30% of the vote and 70% of the seats in the 2007 elections. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation received 19.19% of the vote and 92 seats, its best result since 1999, while A Just Russia received 13.24% and 64 seats, with the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia getting 56 seats with 11.67% of the vote. Yabloko, Patriots of Russia and Right Cause did not cross the 7% election threshold. The list of parties represented in the parliament did not change. United Russia lost the two-thirds constitutional majority it had held prior to the election, but it still won a majority of seats in the Duma, even though it had slightly less than 50% of the popular vote. The Communist Party, Liberal Democratic Party and A Just Russia all gained new seats compared to the previous 2007 elections. The election received various assessments from abroad: positive from the Commonwealth of Independent States observers, mixed from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and critical from some European Union representatives and the United States. Reports of election fraud and voter discontent with the current government led to major protests particularly in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The government and United Russia were in their turn supported by rallies of the youth organizations Nashi and Young Guard of United Russia. Later, the actions of anti-government protesters sparked the fear of a colour revolution in Russian society, and a number of the "anti-Orange" protests were set upАнтиоранжевый митинг проходит на Поклонной горе RIAN ru (the name alludes to the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, the most widely known color revolution to Russians) including one on the Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow, the largest protest action of all the protests so far according to the police. ru:Путин: На митинге на Поклонной мог быть задействован адмресурс, но только на нем собрать так много людей невозможно https://www.interfax.ru/russia/229319 Interfax Rosa village 4 February 2012 ru 1 April 2019Померились цифрами vz.ru ruКак митинг на Поклонной собрал около 140 000 человек politonline.ru ru The Central Electoral Commission issued a report on 3 February 2012, in which it said that it received a total of 1686 reports on irregularities, of which only 195 (11.5%) were confirmed true after investigation, a third (584) actually contained questions about the unclear points of electoral law, and only 60 complaints claimed falsifications of the elections results. On 4 February 2012 the Investigation Committee of the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation announced that the majority of videos allegedly showing falsifications at polling stations were falsified themselves.СКР объявил ролики с нарушениями на выборах смонтированными Lenta.ru ru Statistical analysis of poll data have shown massive abnormalities that most researchers explain by mass-scale electoral fraud.Enikolopov Ruben Korovkin Vasily Petrova Maria Maria Petrova (economist) Sonin Konstantin Zakharov Alexei 8 January 2013 Field experiment estimate of electoral fraud in Russian parliamentary elections Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences en 110 2 448–452 10.1073/pnas.1206770110 0027-8424 3545790 23267093 2013PNAS..110..448E freeBader Max Ham Carolien van 2015 What explains regional variation in election fraud? Evidence from Russia: a research note Post-Soviet Affairs 31 6 514–528 10.1080/1060586X.2014.969023 154548875 1060-586X https://ris.utwente.nl/ws/files/276252005/Bader2015what.pdf 9 July 2023 25 August 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230709195613/https://ris.utwente.nl/ws/files/276252005/Bader2015what.pdf deadMoser Robert G. White Allison C. 2017 Does electoral fraud spread? The expansion of electoral manipulation in Russia Post-Soviet Affairs 33 2 85–99 10.1080/1060586X.2016.1153884 54037737 1060-586X Electoral system The threshold for eligibility to win seats is 7.0 percent. In addition, a party which receives between 5.0 and 6.0 percent will get 1 seat in the Duma and those which receive between 6.0 and 7.0 percent will get 2 seats.ru FEDERAL LAW ON THE ELECTION OF DEPUTIES OF THE STATE DUMA FEDERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION https://web.archive.org/web/20120106093535/http://www.cikrf.ru/law/federal_law/zakon_51/gl11.html 6 January 2012 – Article 82.1. Point 2 and 3 150px|thumb|right|Ballot to the 2011 State Duma election with list of Political parties. Political parties All seven registered political parties were approved to participate in the elections. Parties which were present in the State Duma (United Russia, Communist Party, Liberal Democratic Party and A Just Russia) were automatically eligible to participate in the elections. Other parties needed to present at least 150,000 signatures (with a maximum of 5000 signatures per region) to the Central Electoral Commission before 19 October.ru:"Яблоко" сдало на проверку в Центризбирком 150 тысяч подписей http://ria.ru/politics/20111017/462206310.html RIA Novosti ru 17 October 2011 4 December 2011«ЯБЛОКО» сдало в ЦИК подписи для регистрации на выборах https://web.archive.org/web/20120426041849/http://www.ncnews.su/2011-10-18/yabloko-sdalo-v-cik-podpisi-dlya-registracii-na-vyborax/ 26 April 2012 – NSNews Ballot number Party Party leader No. 1 in party listConventions datehttp://cikrf.ru/banners/duma_2011/polit_part/info.html Предварительная информация о проведении съездов политических партий по вопросу выдвижения федеральных списков кандидатов на выборы в Государственную Думу Федерального Собрания Российской Федерации шестого созыва 8 September 2011 Electoral Commission 21 October 2011 Ideology1 A Just Russia Nikolai LevichevSergey Mironov 24 September 2011Social democracy,Democratic Socialism2 Liberal Democratic Party of RussiaVladimir Zhirinovsky Vladimir Zhirinovsky 13 September 2011 Right-wing nationalism,Anti-Communism3 Patriots of RussiaGennady SemiginGennady Semigin 10 September 2011Democratic Socialism,Left-wing Nationalism4 Communist Party of the Russian FederationGennady ZyuganovGennady Zyuganov 24 September 2011Communism,Left-wing nationalism5 Yabloko Sergey MitrokhinGrigory Yavlinsky10–11 September 2011 Social liberalism,pro-Europeanism6 United RussiaVladimir PutinDmitry Medvedev 23–24 September 2011Statism,Centrism7 Right CauseAndrey DunaevAndrey Dunaev 20 September 2011Neoliberalism,Economic liberalism Campaign There was relatively little sign of campaign activity on the ground: few posters, few street agitators, and few people gathering at non-United Russia campaign rallies. Candidates debates were often brief and aired at odd times of day (such as 7 a.m. on First Channel) and typically featured strange pairings of parties and not always the top figures on their party lists. United Russia The main parliamentary party, the ruling United Russia headed by Vladimir Putin (he is not a member of the party, yet he is its leader), went into the next elections with a renewed platform. Putin announced the creation of a pre-election People's Front to allow non-party candidates (up to 25%) to win election on the United Russia ticket. At the party conference which nominated Putin to the presidency and Medvedev to head the party list leader, the pre-election program was published, with 8 basic guidelines:Sras.Org http://www.sras.org/united_russia_program_address United Russia: Election Program, 2011 Sras.org 1 April 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20140906085306/http://www.sras.org/united_russia_program_address 6 September 2014 dead Modernize the economy, the educational system, and the technical-military industry. Fulfill social obligations. Raise salaries, pensions, and increase grants. Combat poverty and modernize public health services. Eradicate corruption. Achieve transparency in bureaucrat's salaries, state purchases, and measures taken by ministries and departments. Strengthen the judicial system on the principles of independence, transparency, and justice. Make the penal code more humane on so-called economic crimes and toughen punishments for violent crime, most of for all crimes committed against children and for terrorist acts. Support international and interfaith peace. Fight against illegal migration, ethnic crime, and displays of xenophobia and separatism. Support the free growth of all cultures and all confessional traditions of the peoples of Russia. Develop a modern political system which will allow everyone including the smallest social groups to be heard and included in state and social administration processes and to be assured that there are no people without rights or protections in the country. Ensure our internal and external security with an effective police force and a powerful Armed Forces. Raise the prestige of serving in the army, the navy, and law enforcement agencies. An independent and rational domestic policy ultimately pursues only one goal: to improve the welfare of the people and to guarantee their safety. Our integration projects must create new possibilities for development, for citizens and for business. The customs union between Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan is working. A united economic space will become a reality starting 1 January of next year, leading to an even deeper degree of integration. And then we will advance even further to the creation of the Eurasian Union. This program was reportedly constructed from excerpts taken from speeches previously given by Prime Minister Putin and President Medvedev. United Russia Party Chairman Putin and party list leader Medvedev did not participate in them at all. Television campaign ads were not frequently aired, and what ads that ran tended to be of strikingly low production value.Euroasian Review, Putin Machine Sputters: First Impressions Of 2011 Duma Election Campaign, Accessed on 3 March 2012 A Just Russia A Just Russia (Russian: Spravedlivaya Rossia) hoped that being "persecuted by the authorities" will give it a more useful oppositional image. The party managed to turn itself into a credible receptacle for anti-United Russia votes through an aggressive campaign attacking the party. While some of its critical ads were blocked, it still managed to air others that blasted official corruption and declared that "swindlers and thieves" (a clear implicit reference to United Russia) were not needed.ad broadcast on First Channel, 29 November 2011, 07:25, after a debate and before the popular morning pro- gram "Dobroe Utro Rossii." Communist Party In its programme entitled "The majority is destined to win. Return the Motherland stolen from us!", the CPRF promoted a stronger role of the state in the political and social sphere and the nationalization of mineral resources and other raw materials. It called for a re-appraisal of Russia's foreign policy posture, the creation of a 'Union of Brotherhood' on the territory of the former Soviet Union, a stronger role for the United Nations and the dissolution of NATO. The CPRF demanded 'genuine democratisation' of the Russian political system including a stronger role for the parliament, the restoration of regional elections, and the confiscation of property acquired through corruption. It tasked itself with representing the 'patriotic majority' of the population in the parliament and with making sure that executive power is being exercised for the sake of the common good.http://www.iss.europa.eu/fr/publications/detail-page/article/state-duma-elections-2011-and-the-marginal-role-of-russian-parties-part-2/ https://archive.today/20120909095022/http://www.iss.europa.eu/fr/publications/detail-page/article/state-duma-elections-2011-and-the-marginal-role-of-russian-parties-part-2/ dead 9 September 2012 State Duma elections 2011 and the marginal role of Russian parties. Part 2 Iss.europa.eu 1 April 2012 Liberal Democratic party In the run-up to this election, the party had been highlighting the need to defend the interests of ethnic Russians, although it had generally been careful not to cross the line into openly nationalist rhetoric.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15939801 Russia parliament elections: How the parties line up Bbc.co.uk 6 March 2012 20 April 2021 Opinion polls thumb|800px|centre| 18em United Russia solid 5px United Russia Communist Party of the Russian Federation solid 5px CPRF Liberal Democratic Party of Russia solid 5px LDPR A Just Russia solid 5px A Just Russia Yabloko solid 5px Yabloko #E0B559 solid 5px Right Cause Polling firmFieldwork dateUnited RussiaCommunist Party Liberal Democratic PartyA Just RussiaYablokoPatriots of RussiaRight Cause VCIOMВЦИОМ: Всероссийский Центр Изучения Общественного Мнения: Информационные материалы https://web.archive.org/web/20120419084135/http://wciom.ru/index.php?id=195&uid=13991 19 April 2012 . Wciom.ru. 12 November 2010. Retrieved on 7 December 2011. November 2010 62.9% 11.9% 6.9% 8.9% 3.9% 2.8% 2.6% Levadaru Левада-Центр > АРХИВ > ПРЕСС-ВЫПУСКИ https://web.archive.org/web/20120425083337/http://old.levada.ru/press/2011021806.html 25 April 2012 . Old.levada.ru (18 February 2011). Retrieved on 7 December 2011. January 2011 57% 20% 9% 6% <1% <1% <1% LevadaРейтинги партий (февраль 2011) https://web.archive.org/web/20110927101210/http://www.levada.ru/press/2011021806.html 27 September 2011 . Levada.ru (18 February 2011). Retrieved on 7 December 2011. February 2011 60% 16% 11% 4% 1% <1% <1% Levadaru Левада-Центр > АРХИВ > ПРЕСС-ВЫПУСКИ https://web.archive.org/web/20120425083344/http://old.levada.ru/press/2011032403.html 25 April 2012 . Old.levada.ru. 24 March 2011. Retrieved on 7 December 2011. March 2011 57% 18% 10% 7% 1% <1% <1% Levadaru Левада-Центр > АРХИВ > ПРЕСС-ВЫПУСКИ https://web.archive.org/web/20120425083350/http://old.levada.ru/press/2011042001.html 25 April 2012 . Old.levada.ru. 20 April 2011. Retrieved on 7 December 2011. April 2011 55% 18% 12% 6% 2% <1% <1% VCIOMВЦИОМ: Всероссийский Центр Изучения Общественного Мнения: php_pv https://web.archive.org/web/20111220145948/http://wciom.ru/index.php?id=268&uid=111504 20 December 2011 . Wciom.ru. 7 April 2011. Retrieved on 7 December 2011. April 2011 58.7% 13.6% 9.1% 9.8% 2.7% 1.8% 2.9% Levadaru Левада-Центр > АРХИВ > ПРЕСС-ВЫПУСКИ https://web.archive.org/web/20120425083358/http://old.levada.ru/press/2011051806.html 25 April 2012 . Old.levada.ru. 18 May 2011. Retrieved on 7 December 2011. May 2011 57% 17% 14% 4% 1% <1% <1% Levadaru Левада-Центр > АРХИВ > ПРЕСС-ВЫПУСКИ https://web.archive.org/web/20120425083413/http://old.levada.ru/press/2011062904.html 25 April 2012 . Old.levada.ru. 26 June 2011. Retrieved on 7 December 2011. June 2011 53% 17% 13% 5% 1% 1% 2% VCIOMВЦИОМ: Всероссийский Центр Изучения Общественного Мнения: Пресс-выпуск https://web.archive.org/web/20111017121328/http://wciom.ru/index.php?id=459&uid=111783 17 October 2011 . Wciom.ru. 20 July 2011. Retrieved on 7 December 2011. June 2011 58.3% 14.7% 9.8% 7.3% 2.8% 1.9% 4.1% Levadaru Левада-Центр > АРХИВ > ПРЕСС-ВЫПУСКИ https://web.archive.org/web/20111110153828/http://old.levada.ru/press/2011072501.html 10 November 2011 . Old.levada.ru. 25 July 2011. Retrieved on 7 December 2011. July 2011 54% 18% 12% 7% 2% <1% 2% Levadaru Левада-Центр > АРХИВ > ПРЕСС-ВЫПУСКИ https://web.archive.org/web/20120425083444/http://old.levada.ru/press/2011082505.html 25 April 2012 . Old.levada.ru. 25 August 2011 Retrieved on 7 December 2011. August 2011 54% 18% 13% 6% 1% 1% 3% VCIOMПресс-выпуски https://web.archive.org/web/20111220145854/http://vybory.wciom.ru/index.php?id=566&uid=111908 20 December 2011 . Vybory.wciom.ru. 2 September 2011. Retrieved on 7 December 2011. August 2011 55.0% 16.4% 10.8% 7.1% 2.5% 2.1% 4.9% LevadaОктябрьские рейтинги одобрения, доверия и положения дел в стране. Электоральные рейтинги партий https://web.archive.org/web/20111203163104/http://www.levada.ru/27-10-2011/oktyabrskie-reitingi-odobreniya-doveriya-i-polozheniya-del-v-strane-elektoralnye-reitingi 3 December 2011 . Levada.ru (27 October 2011). Retrieved on 7 December 2011. September 2011 57% 16% 12% 6% 3% 1% 2% Levada 30 September–2 October 2011 59% 18% 9% 7% 1% 1% 2% VCIOMПресс-выпуски https://web.archive.org/web/20111220132549/http://vybory.wciom.ru/index.php?id=566&uid=112052 20 December 2011 . Vybory.wciom.ru. 19 October 2011. Retrieved on 7 December 2011. October 2011 53.8% 17.1% 11.3% 7.9% 3.3% 2.0% 2.1% LevadaРейтинги одобрения первых лиц, положения дел в стране, электоральные предпочтения https://web.archive.org/web/20111210082933/http://www.levada.ru/08-11-2011/reitingi-odobreniya-pervykh-lits-polozheniya-del-v-strane-elektoralnye-predpochteniya 10 December 2011 . Levada.ru (11 August 2011). Retrieved on 7 December 2011. 21–24 October 2011 60% 17% 11% 5% 2% <1% 1% Levada 28 October–1 November 2011 51% 20% 14% 7% 4% <1% 1% VCIOMhttp://vybory.wciom.ru/fileadmin/vybory/prognoz_7-11-2011.pptx (PPTX file). 7 November 2011 4 December 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20111221025824/http://vybory.wciom.ru/fileadmin/vybory/prognoz_7-11-2011.pptx 21 December 2011 dead 7 November 2011 53.3% 17.4% 12% 8.3% 3.3% 1.8% 2.2% LevadaНоябрьские рейтинги одобрения и доверия, рейтинги партий https://web.archive.org/web/20111128232534/http://www.levada.ru/25-11-2011/noyabrskie-reitingi-odobreniya-i-doveriya-reitingi-partii 28 November 2011 . Levada.ru (25 November 2011). Retrieved on 7 December 2011. 11 November 2011 53% 20% 12% 9% 1% <1% 1% VCIOMhttp://www.old.wciom.ru/fileadmin/news/2011/prognoz_23-11-2011.pptx (PPTX file). 23 November 2011 4 December 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20140905000214/http://www.old.wciom.ru/fileadmin/news/2011/prognoz_23-11-2011.pptx 5 September 2014 dead 19–20 November 2011 53.7% 16.7% 11.6% 10% 2.9% 1.6% 1.7% Conduct Alleged foreign involvement thumb|right|260px|Election ballots in Pereslavl In the pre-election campaign period the GOLOS Association watchdog was the largest organization independent from participating parties that reported on campaign violations. The online service it set up to collect reports recorded 5,300 complaints regarding violations of electoral law.Russians vote in Duma poll seen as referendum on Putin https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16020632 BBC News 4 December 2011Putin's party lagging in Russian election https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/putin-s-party-lagging-in-russian-election-1.983072 CBC News 4 December 2011Russia's ruling party wary about polls https://www.usatoday.com/USCP/PNI/NEWS/2011-12-04-PNI1204wir-Russia-Vote_ST_U.htm USA Today 4 December 2011 Most of the violations were linked to United Russia and about a third of the complaints were from state employees and students who said they were pressured by their employers/professors to vote for United Russia.Head of Russian Election Watchdog Detained http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2101421,00.html Time 3 December 2011 11 December 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20111205224240/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2101421,00.html 5 December 2011 deadHead of Russian election watchdog detained http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2016921373_apeurussiaelection.html The Seattle Times 3 December 2011Russia's ruling party wary as nation votes; media websites attacked during polls http://english.alarabiya.net/mob/en/180723.html Al Arabiya 4 December 2011 11 December 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20131013110726/http://english.alarabiya.net/mob/en/180723.html 13 October 2013 dead On 1 December 2011 prosecutors in Moscow served GOLOS with papers alleging that the organisation had portrayed an unnamed political party in a bad light. The unnamed party has been identified as being United Russia.December 2011 On 2 November a Moscow court fined GOLOS 30 000 roubles (then about US$1000) for violations of the electoral law of Russia.December 2011Суд оштрафовал ассоциацию "Голос" Lenta.ru ru On 8 December, the news portal Life claimed it had received access to 60 Mb of correspondence between GOLOS administration and USAID (a federal government agency of the United States), and correspondence between GOLOS administration and its activists. The correspondence showed reports to USAID on how USAID funds received by GOLOS were spent. Also, the correspondence showed that activists received money for working onDecember 2011 every report about a violation.Life News публикует тайную переписку «Голоса» с Госдепом США. LifeNews. ru Earlier, on 2 December, NTV channel showed an investigative documentary film, "Голос ниоткуда" (Golos niotkuda, translated as "Voice from nowhere" or "Vote from nowhere"), accusing GOLOS of making propaganda paid for by foreign money, in particular from the United States. Irregularities One of many United Russia posters in St. Petersburg on election day, 4 December 2011|thumb During and after the election international media and local independent websites reported serious irregularities during the election, including ballot stuffing, misuse of state resources, media bias and lack of impartiality by the election commission.Monitors find Russian elections flawed https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/monitors-find-russian-elections-flawed/2011/12/05/gIQAzrhqXO_story.html The Washington Post 6 December 2011 Kathy Lally Will EnglundElection fraud in Russia caught on video: ballot-stuffing, erasable ink and more http://observers.france24.com/content/20111206-russia-election-fraud-caught-video-ballot-stuffing-erasable-ink-putin-protests France 24 6 December 2011 11 December 2011 8 December 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20111208215952/http://observers.france24.com/content/20111206-russia-election-fraud-caught-video-ballot-stuffing-erasable-ink-putin-protests deadViolence as Putin party suffers poll setback http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2011/12/2011124173124116260.html Al Jazeera 5 December 2011 The Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti reported more than 1,100 official complaints filed of election irregularities across the country, including vote fraud, obstruction of observers and illegal campaigning.March 2023 Reports by participating parties Members of the A Just Russia, Yabloko and Communist parties reported that certain voters were shuttled between polling stations, casting several ballots. The Yabloko and Liberal Democratic parties reported that some of their observers had been banned from witnessing the sealing of the ballot boxes and from gathering video footage, and others groundlessly expelled from polling stations.Schwirtz Michael David M. Herszenhorn 5 December 2011 Voters Watch Polls in Russia, and Fraud Is What They See The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/06/world/europe/russian-parliamentary-elections-criticized-by-west.html 7 December 2011 Reports by independent groups and observers At a number of polling stations throughout the country, observers reported that final results published by the Central Election Commission differed drastically from results recorded by observers, with the "official" numbers sometimes showing the United Russia vote inflated by a factor of two or three.http://www.gazeta.ru/news/lenta/2011/12/05/n_2123322.shtml ru:Наблюдатели заметили расхождение данных протоколов и сайта Мосгоризбиркома: это уже наглость ruhttp://www.forbes.ru/sobytiya/vlast/77204-vybory-2011-kollektsiya-narushenii ru:Выборы-2011: коллекция нарушений Forbes 5 December 2011 7 December 2011 ruIoffe, Julia, "Russian Elections: Faking It", The New Yorker blogpost, 5 December 2011. Attempting to monitor balloting at polling station #2390, an old school in Yasenevo, Russian-borne American journalist Ioffe encountered clear indications of ballot-box stuffing. She saw "neat stacks of ballots, perfectly and evenly folded, that slipped out from between the sea of ballots spilling out of each box as it was cracked open". Another person Ioffe observed first-hand managed to grab a stack of ballots: she "carefully unfolded the ballots, and said, 'They're all for United Russia! Of course! Who else stuffs the ballot boxes?'" Ioffe also noted particularly "the level of anger in the [pro-United Russia] Yasenevo election commission – the sneering, the barking; the scoffing, yelling, and smirking. I left the precinct with shaking hands." Retrieved 6 December 2011. Carousel voting was also observed in many areas. In Moscow, the opposition activist group Citizen Observer estimated that United Russia had stolen 17% of the popular vote from other parties.http://echo.msk.ru/news/836980-echo.html ru:По предварительным подсчетам данных проекта "Гражданин-наблюдатель", в Москве "Едина Россия" приписала себе около 17 процентов голосов ruhttp://nabludatel.org/content/%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%81-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%84%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F-7-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B1%D1%80%D1%8F-%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D1%8B%D0%B5-%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B8-%D0%B2%D1%8B%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2 Пресс-конференция 7 декабря – первые итоги выборов 11 December 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20120125010333/http://nabludatel.org/content/%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%81-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%84%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F-7-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B1%D1%80%D1%8F-%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D1%8B%D0%B5-%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B8-%D0%B2%D1%8B%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2 25 January 2012 dead In Saint Petersburg, independent activist group Right to Elect ("Право выбора") attempted to register all differences between observers' protocols and the data of the Central Election Commission. They found that comparable shares of differences in votes were in favour not only of the United Russia, but of CPRF and LDPR parties as well (2.68%, 1.49% and 2.67% respectively as of the data on 13 December).Право выбора ruДанные о нарушениях на избирательных участках Петербурга будут собираться на сайте «Держи вора» Ekho Moskvy in Saint Petersburg ru Reports by international observers International observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) documented numerous violations of electoral law.Russia election: OSCE sees 'numerous violations' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16037975 BBC News 5 December 2011OSCE says Russian election slanted in favour of Vladimir Putin's party https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/8935338/OSCE-says-Russian-election-slanted-in-favour-of-Vladimir-Putins-party.html The Daily Telegraph 5 December 2011 They found that whilst the preparations for the elections were technically well administered, they were marked by a "convergence of the State and the governing party".INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVATION Russian Federation, State Duma Elections – 4 December 2011 – STATEMENT OF PRELIMINARY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS http://www.osce.org/odihr/85757 Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe They said they witnessed "undue interference of state authorities", "partiality of most media" and "lack of independence of the election administration". Denying registration to some political parties narrowed political competition, according to the OSCE. The OCSE concluded that "This...did not provide the necessary conditions for fair electoral competition." However, international observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States reported that the elections "were held legally and without serious violations."http://www.kyivpost.com/news/russia/detail/118171/ CIS observers: Duma elections held legally 4 December 2011 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20111207193914/http://www.kyivpost.com/news/russia/detail/118171/ 7 December 2011 Yet given government's control over the Central Electoral Commission and the exclusion of many independent observers from participation in monitoring voting and vote tabulation, it is exceedingly difficult to assess the degree of falsification in the election.http://www.themontrealreview.com/2009/Russia-Elections-Vladimir-Putin-Democracy-Derailed-Steve-Fish.php Russia's Parliamentary Elections: Democracy Derailed, by M. Steven Fish, The Montreal Review (December, 2011) Themontrealreview.com 9 December 2011 1 April 2012 Official reaction to the reports on irregularities According to Vladimir Putin's Press Secretary, Dmitry Peskov, the known accumulated volume of all reports on falsifications affects no more than 0.5% of total votes, and so this could not be a basis to reconsider the results of the elections.Песков: объем нарушений на выборах в Госдуму не превысил 0,5% голосов ru Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev called for an investigation of all reports on irregularities, but voiced his disagreement with slogans and calls by the protesters on the post-election meetings. Yury Chaika, the Prosecutor General of Russia, said that the data on falsifications will be analyzed, but said also that violations were local and didn't affect the overall result, and that therefore there is no reason to cancel the results of the elections. Other irregularities Various Russian liberal news websites reported experiencing denial of service attacks on the day of the election.Russian protests: live, Telegraph, Retrieved 10 December 2011 United Russia was able to score 99.48% in the Chechen Republic and got to a lesser degree similar results in the neighbouring republics, a curiosity which was picked up by many international newspapers.http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-russia-chechnya-elections-idUKTRE7BK1BU20111222 https://web.archive.org/web/20160201093643/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-russia-chechnya-elections-idUKTRE7BK1BU20111222 dead 1 February 2016 Russia's Chechnya: How did Putin's party win 99 percent? Reuters 22 December 2011 3 May 2012 The group's leader Lilya Shibanova was detained for twelve hours at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on 2 December, and released only after giving her laptop to security personnel there. Investigation of the reports on irregularities Official reports to the Central Electoral Commission The Central Electoral Commission issued a report on 3 February 2012, in which it said that it received the total of 1686 reports on irregularities, of which only 195 (11.5%) were confirmed true after investigation. About a third of reports (584) actually contained questions about the unclear points of electoral law rather than reports of irregularities, and there were only 60 complaints claiming falsifications of the elections results.http://lenta.ru/news/2012/02/04/ninety/ ЦИК признал несостоятельными 90 процентов жалоб на думские выборы Type of reportsNumber Claims of illegal campaigning 265 Claims of illegal actions on elections day 235 Questions about the unclear points of electoral law 584 Claims of usage of the 'administrative resource' 110 Claims of falsification of the results 60 Total reports 1686 Confirmed reports 195 Investigation of videos On 4 February 2012 the Investigation Committee of the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation announced that the majority of videos allegedly showing falsifications at polling stations were in fact falsified and originally distributed from a single server in California. However, others (such as GOLOS) pointed out firstly, that 'falsification' was deemed to be 'editing' ('монтаж') – something unavoidable in fitting potentially hours of footage into a short internet clip, and secondly that "the server in California" might actually just be YouTube.СКР ищет авторов "роликов из США" о выборах Думы, BBC, Retrieved 6 February 2012 Results United Russia won the elections with a 49.32% share of votes (238 seats; 52.88% of Duma seats), down from 64.30% (70% of seats) in the 2007 elections. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation received 19.19% (92 seats), while the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia got 11.67% (56 seats) and A Just Russia 13.24% (64 seats). Other parties did not cross the 7% election threshold, and the list of parties in the parliament did not change. United Russia lost its two-thirds constitutional majority, but still won an absolute majority. The Communist Party, Liberal Democratic Party and A Just Russia all got a higher level of representation in the parliament compared to the previous 2007 elections. File:Russian 6th State Duma.svg United Russia 32379135 238 –77 Communist Party 12599507 92 +35 A Just Russia 8695522 64 +26 Liberal Democratic Party 7664570 56 +16 Yabloko 2252403 0 0 Patriots of Russia 639119 0 0 Right Cause 392806 0 0 1033464 0 109237780 CEC By region right 250px Turnout 250px Results for United Russia 250px Results for CPRF 250px Results for A Just Russia 250px Results for LDPR 250px Results for Yabloko 250px Results for Patriots of Russia 250px Results for Right Cause 250px Invalid ballots RegionTurnout UR CPRF SR LDPR Yabloko PR RCInvalidballots Adygea 65.9% 61.0% 18.2% 8.5% 7.8% 1.8% 0.9% 0.5% 1.4% Altai Republic 62.8% 53.3% 21.5% 10.3% 10.6% 1.5% 0.8% 0.5% 1.3% Bashkortostan 79.3% 70.5% 15.6% 5.5% 5.2% 1.2% 0.5% 0.4% 1.0% Buryatia 56.7% 49.0% 24.3% 12.6% 9.5% 1.9% 0.8% 0.4% 1.5% Chechnya 98.6% 99.48% 0.09% 0.18% 0.02% 0.05% 0.07% 0.04% 0.07% Chuvashia 61.6% 43.4% 20.9% 18.8% 10.7% 1.6% 1.3% 0.4% 2.9% Dagestan 81.1% 82.8% 11.3% 2.7% 1.9% 0.4% 0.3% 0.1% 0.4% Ingushetia 86.2% 91.0% 2.9% 2.3% 0.4% 0.8% 0.3% 1.5% 0.8% Kabardino-Balkaria 98.2% 81.3% 18.2% 0.2% 0.08% 0.07% 0.03% 0.04% 0.04% Kalmykia 63.2% 66.1% 18.4% 7.2% 4.0% 1.4% 0.6% 0.7% 1.6% Karachay-Cherkessia 93.2% 89.8% 8.8% 0.5% 0.3% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% Karelia 50.2% 32.3% 19.3% 20.6% 17.9% 6.2% 0.9% 0.9% 1.9% Khakassia 56.2% 40.1% 23.6% 13.7% 16.0% 2.7% 1.6% 0.6% 1.6% Komi Republic 70.5% 58.8% 13.5% 11.5% 11.9% 1.5% 0.9% 0.6% 1.3% Mari El 71.3% 52.2% 20.7% 10.6% 11.7% 2.0% 0.9% 0.6% 1.3% Mordovia 94.2% 91.6% 4.5% 1.3% 1.5% 0.3% 0.1% 0.1% 0.5% North Ossetia–Alania 85.6% 67.9% 21.7% 6.0% 2.2% 0.3% 0.4% 0.3% 1.2% Tatarstan 79.5% 77.8% 10.6% 5.3% 3.5% 1.1% 0.4% 0.4% 0.9% Tuva 83.7% 85.3% 3.9% 6.7% 2.1% 0.5% 0.3% 0.2% 1.0% Udmurtia 56.6% 45.1% 19.5% 11.2% 16.6% 2.8% 2.5% 0.7% 1.5% Sakha Republic 59.3% 49.2% 16.4% 21.8% 8.5% 1.7% 0.8% 0.5% 1.2% Altai Krai 51.4% 37.2% 24.7% 16.1% 16.6% 2.4% 0.7% 0.4% 1.9% Kamchatka Krai 53.1% 45.3% 17.1% 10.1% 18.6% 4.1% 2.2% 0.6% 2.1% Khabarovsk Krai 53.0% 38.1% 20.5% 14.1% 19.8% 3.7% 1.4% 0.7% 1.7% Krasnodar Krai 72.8% 56.3% 17.5% 10.8% 10.4% 2.0% 0.9% 0.5% 1.6% Krasnoyarsk Krai 49.4% 36.7% 23.6% 15.9% 17.0% 3.2% 1.0% 0.9% 1.8% Perm Krai 48.0% 36.3% 21.0% 16.4% 17.9% 4.3% 1.1% 0.8% 2.2% Primorsky Krai 48.8% 33.3% 23.2% 18.1% 18.7% 3.0% 0.9% 0.5% 2.4% Stavropol Krai 50.8% 49.2% 18.4% 11.8% 15.3% 2.1% 0.9% 0.4% 1.9% Zabaykalsky Krai 53.6% 43.3% 18.6% 14.1% 19.2% 1.7% 1.1% 0.5% 1.5% Amur Oblast 53.7% 43.5% 19.2% 10.3% 21.0% 1.9% 1.7% 0.7% 1.7% Arkhangelsk Oblast 49.8% 31.9% 20.2% 22.1% 18.2% 4.5% 1.2% 0.8% 1.2% Astrakhan Oblast 55.6% 58.1% 14.3% 15.2% 8.5% 1.0% 0.7% 0.3% 1.7% Belgorod Oblast 75.5% 51.2% 22.4% 11.6% 9.6% 2.1% 1.0% 0.4% 1.6% Bryansk Oblast 59.9% 50.1% 23.3% 11.2% 10.6% 2.0% 0.9% 0.4% 1.4% Chelyabinsk Oblast 59.5% 49.4% 14.9% 16.9% 12.1% 3.5% 1.0% 0.6% 1.7% Irkutsk Oblast 47.2% 34.9% 27.8% 13.4% 17.3% 3.4% 1.2% 0.6% 1.4% Ivanovo Oblast 52.9% 40.1% 22.5% 15.6% 14.8% 3.5% 1.2% 0.8% 1.5% Kaliningrad Oblast 54.6% 37.1% 25.5% 13.3% 14.1% 5.5% 2.2% 0.7% 1.6% Kaluga Oblast 57.5% 40.5% 21.9% 15.6% 14.4% 4.1% 1.4% 0.6% 1.6% Kemerovo Oblast 69.7% 64.6% 10.5% 7.9% 12.1% 2.2% 0.8% 0.4% 1.5% Kirov Oblast 54.1% 34.9% 22.7% 19.8% 16.7% 2.7% 1.2% 0.6% 1.5% Kostroma Oblast 58.6% 34.2% 28.0% 18.0% 15.4% 1.8% 0.9% 0.4% 1.3% Kurgan Oblast 56.5% 44.4% 19.6% 14.5% 16.9% 2.0% 0.8% 0.5% 1.3% Kursk Oblast 54.7% 45.7% 20.7% 14.4% 13.5% 2.3% 1.4% 0.5% 1.5% Leningrad Oblast 51.8% 33.7% 17.3% 25.1% 14.7% 4.9% 1.2% 0.6% 2.5% Lipetsk Oblast 57.1% 40.3% 22.8% 16.6% 14.3% 2.5% 0.9% 0.5% 1.9% Magadan Oblast 50.6% 41.0% 22.8% 11.6% 17.4% 3.5% 1.9% 0.8% 1.3% Moscow Oblast 50.7% 32.5% 25.9% 16.0% 14.4% 6.1% 1.3% 1.0% 2.8% Murmansk Oblast 51.8% 32.0% 21.8% 19.7% 18.1% 4.7% 1.2% 0.6% 1.9% Nizhny Novgorod Oblast 59.2% 45.0% 28.5% 10.5% 10.6% 2.8% 0.8% 0.5% 1.3% Novgorod Oblast 56.7% 35.3% 19.0% 28.2% 11.6% 2.7% 0.9% 0.5% 1.8% Novosibirsk Oblast 56.8% 33.8% 30.3% 12.7% 15.7% 4.3% 1.1% 0.7% 1.4% Omsk Oblast 55.7% 39.6% 25.6% 13.4% 14.2% 3.5% 1.0% 0.7% 1.9% Orenburg Oblast 51.2% 34.9% 26.2% 16.8% 16.9% 2.4% 1.0% 0.4% 1.4% Oryol Oblast 64.7% 38.9% 32.0% 11.2% 12.2% 2.1% 0.9% 0.8% 1.8% Penza Oblast 64.9% 56.3% 19.8% 8.7% 10.1% 2.1% 0.7% 0.4% 1.9% Pskov Oblast 52.9% 36.7% 25.1% 16.4% 13.9% 5.1% 0.9% 0.5% 1.4% Rostov Oblast 59.4% 50.2% 20.8% 13.3% 10.2% 2.9% 0.8% 0.5% 1.3% Ryazan Oblast 52.7% 39.8% 23.6% 15.1% 15.1% 3.1% 1.2% 0.7% 1.6% Sakhalin Oblast 48.7% 41.9% 23.4% 11.8% 16.0% 3.4% 1.2% 0.7% 1.6% Samara Oblast 52.9% 39.1% 23.3% 14.5% 15.8% 3.8% 1.2% 0.5% 2.0% Saratov Oblast 67.2% 64.9% 13.8% 10.1% 7.2% 1.7% 0.6% 0.3% 1.4% Smolensk Oblast 49.6% 36.2% 24.2% 18.6% 14.8% 2.9% 1.1% 0.5% 1.6% Sverdlovsk Oblast 51.0% 32.7% 16.8% 24.7% 16.0% 4.3% 0.9% 2.1% 2.5% Tambov Oblast 68.3% 66.7% 16.5% 6.0% 7.1% 1.4% 0.5% 0.3% 1.5% Tomsk Oblast 50.5% 37.5% 22.4% 13.4% 17.8% 4.7% 1.3% 1.0% 1.9% Tula Oblast 72.8% 61.3% 15.1% 8.5% 9.2% 3.5% 0.8% 0.4% 1.2% Tver Oblast 53.4% 38.4% 23.2% 19.8% 11.7% 3.8% 1.2% 0.5% 1.3% Tyumen Oblast 53.1% 65.1% 11.2% 6.8% 12.9% 1.7% 0.8% 0.5% 1.0% Ulyanovsk Oblast 60.4% 43.6% 23.1% 15.6% 12.6% 2.3% 1.0% 0.5% 1.4% Vladimir Oblast 48.9% 38.3% 20.5% 21.5% 12.9% 3.5% 1.1% 0.6% 1.5% Volgograd Oblast 51.8% 36.2% 22.9% 21.3% 13.3% 3.3% 1.1% 0.6% 1.4% Vologda Oblast 56.3% 33.4% 16.8% 27.1% 15.4% 3.5% 1.3% 0.7% 1.8% Voronezh Oblast 64.3% 49.5% 21.8% 14.4% 8.8% 2.2% 0.8% 0.4% 1.9% Yaroslavl Oblast 55.9% 29.0% 24.0% 22.6% 15.5% 4.8% 1.8% 0.7% 1.6% Moscow 61.7% 46.6% 19.3% 12.1% 9.4% 8.5% 1.3% 0.8% 1.7% Saint Petersburg 54.5% 35.4% 15.3% 23.7% 10.3% 11.6% 1.2% 0.9% 1.6% Jewish Autonomous Oblast 52.0% 48.1% 19.8% 10.5% 15.7% 1.9% 0.9% 0.5% 2.5% Chukotka Autonomous Okrug 74.2% 70.3% 6.7% 5.4% 11.2% 1.7% 0.9% 0.7% 3.1% Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug 53.1% 41.0% 16.1% 13.8% 22.5% 2.8% 1.3% 0.6% 1.8% Nenets Autonomous Okrug 48.0% 36.0% 24.8% 15.0% 17.5% 2.8% 1.3% 1.1% 1.5% Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug 75.6% 71.7% 6.6% 4.7% 13.6% 1.2% 0.7% 0.4% 1.1% Baikonur 45.9% 48.4% 16.3% 11.9% 15.6% 2.9% 1.3% 0.6% 2.8% Total 60.2% 49.3% 19.2% 13.3% 11.7% 3.4% 1.0% 0.6% 1.6% Reactions Russia: President Dmitry Medvedev has called for an investigation into the alleged fraud, but played down concerns, stating that "It's time to give the new parliament a chance to work and, of course, to investigate everything that happened."Russian president calls for investigation into alleged fraud in parliamentary elections https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russian-president-medvedev-in-prague-to-sign-business-deals/2011/12/08/gIQAo1nVeO_story.html https://web.archive.org/web/20111208192110/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russian-president-medvedev-in-prague-to-sign-business-deals/2011/12/08/gIQAo1nVeO_story.html dead 8 December 2011 The Washington Post Associated Press 8 December 2011 11 December 2011 Russia: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that Hillary Clinton "set the tone for some opposition activists" to act "in accordance with a well-known scenario and in their own mercenary political interests ... our people do not want the situation in Russia to develop like it was in Kyrgyzstan or not so long ago in Ukraine."Председатель Правительства Российской Федерации В.В.Путин провёл заседание Координационного совета Общероссийского народного фронта Official site of Prime Minister of Russia. ru He said that "it is unacceptable when foreign money is pumped into election processes" and that Russia's sovereignty should be defended from foreign interference.Russia PM Vladimir Putin accuses US over poll protests https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16084743 BBC News 8 December 2011 11 December 2011 Putin also claimed that elections in the U. S. are much less liberal than in Russia and less open to independent observers.Председатель Правительства Российской Федерации В.В.Путин провёл заседание Координационного совета Общероссийского народного фронт ru Mikhail Gorbachev, the final Soviet leader, has called for new elections and stated that the election was slanted in favour of United Russia.Steve Gutterman And Gleb Bryanski http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/6112461/Putin-claims-US-stoked-Russian-protests Russian Elections: Putin claims US stoked protests... Stuff.co.nz 9 December 2011 1 April 2012 He has demanded a rerun, stating: "The country's leaders must admit there were numerous falsifications and rigging and the results do not reflect the peoples' will." He added: "I think [Russia's leaders] can only take one decision – annul the results of the election and hold a new one."Russia protests: Gorbachev calls for election re-run, BBC, Retrieved 7 December 2011 United States: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on a trip to Vienna that Russia's election was "neither free, nor fair" and that there were "serious concerns" about the fairness of the election.Mohammed Arshad Adomaitis Nerijus 6 December 2011 Clinton criticizes Russia vote, Germany urges improvement https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-election-usa/clinton-criticizes-russia-vote-germany-urges-improvement-idUSTRE7B50IE20111206 Reuters Vilnius 1 April 2019 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia called Clinton's and other U.S. officials' comments "unacceptable", and criticized the American support of "stereotypes" and the "placement of labels" without proper attempts at a serious analysis of the electoral situation in Russia. The Ministry also criticized the United States' own electoral system.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reprimanded Hillary Clinton for her comments on elections ru Aftermath 2011–2013 Russian protests On 4 November 2011, a month before elections, during the annual "Russian March" event representatives of the nationalist The Russians movement declared a protest action to begin on the election day after polling closes.http://www.sova-center.ru/racism-xenophobia/news/counteraction/2011/12/d23168/ В день выборов в Москве была пресечена акция протеста националистов / Декабрь / 2011 / Противодействие расизму и радикальному национализму / Новости / Расизм и ксенофобия / СОВА Sova-center.ru 23 December 2011 1 April 2012 As there was no official rally permit, the action was unapproved. It took place on 4 December at 21.00 in Moscow. Spokesman Alexander Belov declared the beginning of the «Putin, go away!» campaign.http://scilla.ru/content/view/4169/2/ Москва бурлит – Аналитический и новостной сайт информационно-экспертной групы Панорама Scilla.ru 1 April 2012 Several hundred people participated in the protest, which resulted in running battles with riot police. The Russians leaders Alexander Belov, Dmitry Dyomushkin, George Borovikov and dozens of other nationalists were arrested. The head of the banned DPNI organization Vladimir Yermolaev was detained at a voting station where he was an observer. Also, mass detentions from other public organizations have occurred in Moscow. According to police some 258 persons have been detained.https://newdaynews.ru/moskow/361457.html Русские националисты отказались признать законность выборов в Госдуму / … и призвали граждан создавать собственные органы самоуправления / 04.12.11 / Новый День 4 December 2011 NewDayNews.Ru 1 April 2012https://newdaynews.ru/moskow/361451.html В Москве полиция разогнала сход "Русских" / Лидеры националистов Дмитрий Демушкин и Александр Белов задержаны / 04.12.11 / Новый День 4 December 2011 NewDayNews.Ru 1 April 2012http://www.svobodanews.ru/archive/ru_news_zone/20111205/17/17.html?id=24411662 Новости – Радио Свобода © 2011 Svobodanews.ru 1 April 2012 19 February 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120219111547/http://www.svobodanews.ru/archive/ru_news_zone/20111205/17/17.html?id=24411662 dead On 5 December, up to 8,000 opponents of the government began protesting in Moscow, denouncing Vladimir Putin and his government and what they believed were flawed elections. Protesters argued that the elections had been a sham and demanded that Putin step down, whilst some demanded revolution.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/dec/06/russian-police-troops-moscow-protest?newsfeed=true The Guardian UK 6 December 2011 Russian police and troops mass for Moscow protestBBC News – Russia election: Hundreds rally against Putin in Moscow. Bbc.co.uk. 5 December 2011. Retrieved on 7 December 2011. On 6 December, 15,000 pro-United Russia activists marched near Red Square with 2,000 gathering in a different downtown location, while 5,000 people marched in protest at the same time.http://en.ria.ru/russia/20111206/169398093.html RIA Novosti 6 December 2011 Kremlin supporters gather in Moscow Truckloads of soldiers and police, as well as a water cannon, were deployed ahead of expected anti-government protests. 300 protesters had been arrested in Moscow the night before, along with 120 in St. Petersburg.https://www.ft.com/content/3f482224-2011-11e1-8662-00144feabdc0 Financial Times 6 December 2011 Troops on Moscow streets as tensions flare During the night of 6 December, at least 600 protesters were reported to be in Triumphalnaya Square chanting slogans against Putin,Russian police and troops clash with protesters in Moscow | World news | guardian.co.uk. Guardian. 6 December 2011. Retrieved on 7 December 2011. Meanwhile, anti-government protesters at Revolution Square near the Kremlin clashed with riot police and interior ministry troops,Protests over Russian Elections Spread to More Cities | News | English . Voanews.com. 6 December 2011. Retrieved on 7 December 2011. with the police chasing around 100 away and arresting others.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/8938435/Police-and-protesters-clash-in-Moscow-after-election-protests.html The Daily Telegraph UK 6 December 2011 Police and protestors clash in Moscow Protest numbers later reached over 1,000 at Triumphalnaya Square and dozens were arrested, including Boris Nemtsov, an opposition leader and former deputy prime minister,Clover, Charles. (28 November 2011) Protesters defy troops on Moscow streets. FT.com. Retrieved on 7 December 2011. and Alexei Navalny, a top blogger and activist.Ioffe, Julia, "Putin's Big Mistake?", The New Yorker blogpost, 6 December 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2011. The government and United Russia were supported by massive meetings of the youth organizations, such as a 15,000-strong rally of NashiМитинг "Наших" оказался многочисленнее мероприятия оппозиции https://web.archive.org/web/20140427082730/http://www.infox.ru/authority/mans/2011/12/06/Miting_Nashih_okazal_print.phtml 27 April 2014 ru and an 8,000 rally of the Young Guard on 6 December.Итогам парламентских выборов были сегодня посвящены многотысячные митинги в центре Москвы Channel One ru On 12 December, the 18th anniversary of the Constitution of Russia, a meeting of pro-Kremlin groupsDecember 2011 supported Putin and United Russia and celebrated the Constitution.На Манежной прошел митинг прокремлевских движений ru Analysis Comparison with exit polls and forecasts It is not possible to compare exit polls to the numbers reported by the election commission because no nationwide exit polls were conducted outside of the government. The only nationwide exit polls were conducted by the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM) – the government-run polling organization controlled by the Labor Ministry. Therefore, there were no independent nationwide exit polls that took place during the elections. However, United Russia's final result, 49.32%, not only coincided with the Central Election Commission's exit poll figure of 48.5%, but actually fell somewhat below the results of pre-election surveys by the Levada Center, the foremost non-governmental, independent polling and sociological research organization in Russia. Levada Center polls in September–November, listed above, found levels of support for United Russia between 51%http://www.levada.ru/08-11-2011/reitingi-odobreniya-pervykh-lits-polozheniya-del-v-strane-elektoralnye-predpochteniya Рейтинги одобрения первых лиц, положения дел в стране, электоральные предпочтения Левада-Центр 10 December 2011 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20111210082933/http://www.levada.ru/08-11-2011/reitingi-odobreniya-pervykh-lits-polozheniya-del-v-strane-elektoralnye-predpochteniya 10 December 2011 and 60%. The Election Commission reported that United Russia was also the leader in Moscow, with 46.5% of the vote. However, one early exit poll indicated that the share of United Russia was only 27%.http://www.aif.ru/society/news/102856 Результаты ЕР по Москве почти вдвое превышают результаты exit poll ru The difference was attributed by some journalists to election fraud.http://svpressa.ru/society/article/50726/ ru:Сурков – среднему классу: Хватит вопить! ru 7 December 2011 http://www.vedomosti.ru/politics/news/1444489/nash_durdom_golosuet_za ru:Наш дурдом голосует "за" ru The organization that provided the 27% figure subsequently withdrew its estimate, citing its low accuracy.http://news.ru.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=160008084 ФОМ объяснил, почему убрал с сайта exit poll по округам и Москве 11 December 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20120406002130/http://news.ru.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=160008084 6 April 2012 dead Barry, Ellen, and David M. Herszenhorn, "Billionaire and Ex-Minister to Oppose Putin in Russian Presidential Election" (limited no-charge access), The New York Times, 12 December 2011. The "elections ... were condemned as fraudulent by international and local monitors, and protested by a vehement swath of middle-class Russians". Retrieved 12 December 2011. A large number of violations captured on observers' mobile phones suggest that the numbers provided by the election commission were fraudulent. In one report from Moscow, a Yabloko observer captured the pre-filled final tabulation in the regional election commission showing 515 (75.8%) votes for United Russia for his election station No. 6, while the records of the station No. 6 showed mere 128 (18.9%) votes for United Russia.http://vyrodok.livejournal.com/1600.html ru:Как все было на самом деле. Избирательный участок №6 г. Москва. Хроника одного дня. ru 6 December 2011 This casts more doubts on the legitimacy of the figures of the exit polls and overall votes reported by the government. Statistics thumb|right|Critics call attention to the discrepancy of normally distributed votes cast for other parties and the sawtooth-shaped distribution of votes cast for United Russia (shown in blue) Analysis by the physicist Sergey Shpilkin published by Gazeta.ru,http://www.gazeta.ru/science/2011/12/10_a_3922390.shtml ru:Статистика исследовала выборы ru Lenta.Ru,http://lenta.ru/articles/2011/12/06/elections/ ru:Истина в цифрах: Как математики ищут следы фальсификаций на выборах ru Troitsky Varianthttp://trv-science.ru/2011/12/20/ S. Shpilkin "Математика выборов – 2011" (Mathematics of Elections), Troitsky Variant № 94, 20 Dec 2011, pages 2–4 Trv-science.ru 20 December 2011 1 April 2012 and with others in Esquire Russiahttp://esquire.ru/esquire-issue-72#page=168 ru:Выбирать не приходится ru 22 December 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20111221213050/http://esquire.ru/esquire-issue-72#page=168 21 December 2011 dead reported on several characteristics of the election results which they view as evidence of fraud. Unlike elections in some other countries with a similar voting system, voter turnout does not display a normal distribution, and has distinct peaks appearing at multiples of 5%. Voter turnout exhibits a nearly linear relationship with the portion voting for United Russia, thus implying ballot stuffing in favor of UR. The distribution of percent voting for each party is not close to normal for United Russia either, unlike other parties. Similarly, percentages cast for United Russia have characteristic spikes at the round values of 50%, 60%, 70%, etc. Critics say, such a distribution might be a result of mass-scale fraud when local election commissions struggle to meet a certain objective, e.g. "60% for United Russia". Similar spikes also occurred in the 2007 Russian elections, and the political scientists Mikhail Myagkov, Peter Ordeshook and researcher Dmitri Shakin wrote that they are "consistent with the hypothesis that turnout numbers were manufactured artificially, with simple rounded numbers entered into official protocols." Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-76470-4 Myagkov Mikhail G. Peter C. Ordeshook Dimitri Shakin The forensics of election fraud: Russia and Ukraine 31 May 2009 A team from Imperial College in London analysed the results and announced in May 2012 that they too suspected extensive fraud.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/9275527/Study-shows-Putins-election-victory-doesnt-add-up.html Study shows Putin's election victory doesn't add up Telegraph 19 May 2012 The Wall Street Journal, working with political scientists from the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago, published their own analysis of the election results, and pointed out a number of features which they believe indicate fraud. They estimate that as many as 14 million of the 65.7 million votes may be fraudulent. White Gregory L. Rob Barry Russia's Dubious Vote wsj.com 28 December 2011 https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203391104577124540544822220?mod=googlenews_wsj An article published in Polit Onlinehttp://www.politonline.ru/comments/10036.html ru:В Леваде не верят в график 'Гаусса против Чурова', а математики его опровергают ru 12 December 2011 looked at criticisms of the analysis. The supposition of Gaussian distribution was criticized by sociologist Aleksey Grazhdankin, a deputy director of Levada Center (top independent non-governmental polling and sociological research organization in Russia). Grazhdankin cites regional differences and the existence of the so-called "electoral enclaves" in Russia, which vote very differently from the surrounding areas, often because the recent rise of the quality of life in such enclaves is associated with the actions of the authorities. Grazhdankin says he does not believe the graphs with non-Gaussian distributions indicate vote fraud. Still, in his commenthttp://www.vedomosti.ru/politics/news/1456510/pereschet_golosov "Единая Россия" набрала в Москве не более 32% на думских выборах / United Russia (actually) got 32% in Moscow to Vedomosti, Grazhdankin claimed that the most likely explanation to abnormal results observed in Moscow is fraud. Statistician Mikhail Simkin has also argued that the vote distribution should not be necessarily normal.Mikhail Simkin http://www.significancemagazine.org/details/webexclusive/1435463/US-elections-are-as-non-normal-as-Russian-elections.html US elections are as 'non-normal' as Russian elections – Web Exclusive Article Significance Magazine 19 January 2012 24 October 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20120229144600/http://www.significancemagazine.org/details/webexclusive/1435463/US-elections-are-as-non-normal-as-Russian-elections.html 29 February 2012 dead See also 2011–2013 Russian protests Further reading Joan DeBardeleben The 2011–12 Russia elections: The next chapter in Russia's post-Communist tradition? Russia after 2012: From Putin to Medvedev to Putin – continuity, change, or revolution? Routledge 2013 3–18 References External links WCIOM FOM Maps of election results and turnout. Infographics from Gazeta.ru. Category:Legislative elections in Russia Legislative Russia Russia Category:Political controversies in Russia Category:2011–2013 Russian protests Legislative Category:6th State Duma of the Russian Federation