Russian authorities shelve plans for mass rollout of electronic voting
E-voting was expected to be the Kremlin’s key tool for securing favorable outcomes in the 2026 State Duma elections.
Now, sources close to election officials have revealed plans to scale back its use.
What are the reasons behind this possible shift in strategy?
Read more … Russian authorities shelve plans for mass rollout of electronic voting
Experts: High results in 2025 governor elections attributed to vote rigging
Electoral analyst Ivan Shukshin has examined the results from several Russian regions where gubernatorial ‘elections’ took place in September 2025.
His unambiguous conclusion: the results were falsified.
REM publishes some of Shukshin’s conclusions.
Read more … Experts: High results in 2025 governor elections attributed to vote rigging
Statement on Russian regional elections 2025
On 12–14 September 2025, Russia held regional elections.
Elections were held in 81 regions with more than 5,000 election campaigns at various levels.
REM monitored the voting process and summarized the main conclusions from the observation.
Election update XIII
On 12–14 September, Russia will hold regional elections. While these events can hardly be described as genuine elections, they remain one of the few available indicators of internal political dynamics.
In this digest, REM examines the changes to electoral legislation introduced ahead of the vote, as well as the results of candidate registration.
Who is next? Persecution of governors in Russia
On 7 July 2025, former governor of the Kursk region Roman Starovoit was found dead in an apparent suicide, according to investigators.
During Vladimir Putin’s 25-year rule, 32 Russian governors have faced prosecution.
This article explores how the Kremlin’s approach to prosecuting regional elites — both allies and critics — has evolved over Putin's time in power.
Is Siberia retaining its autonomy? Municipal reform and unexpected protests
In spring 2025, Vladimir Putin signed a new law on local self-government.
The reform unexpectedly triggered backlash from regional leaders, deputies, and citizens — especially in Siberia and the Far East — that culminated in a mass rally in Gorno-Altaysk.
REM examines the evolution of local self-government in Russia and explores why seemingly formal administrative changes have sparked such resistance.
Read more … Is Siberia retaining its autonomy? Municipal reform and unexpected protests