Independent candidates face serious obstacles in participating in Russia's State Duma elections to be held in September. Difficulties in collecting the voter signatures required for registration have reduced the number of independent candidates to a record low of 79. This figure marks a sharp decline compared to over 170 independent candidates in 2021 and 300 in 2016.
Journalist and activist Yevgeniya Kutsuyeva from Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan, announced that she was able to collect fewer than 1,000 of the 16,000 signatures she needed to submit to the Central Election Commission. In a video posted on Instagram, Kutsuyeva said, "This is a fair indicator of the state of our society, both in Ufa and in Russia." Despite stating that she worked 20 hours a day and reached 10 million people on social media, she could not find enough support.
In Yakutsk, the capital of the Sakha Republic, activist Anton Vasilyev withdrew his candidacy after collecting only 1,000 of his 20,000-signature target. Vasilyev shared a message on Instagram: "This is very difficult... Let's try next time. Thank you for your support."
Election politics expert Stanislav Andreychuk noted that the number of candidates has dropped sharply due to the high risk of pressure and low benefit of running as an independent. Andreychuk said, "This is not just about independent candidates; the number of people wanting to participate in elections in general has decreased." He also stated that campaigns will not begin until mid-August because the election campaign coincides with the summer holiday period and low turnout is targeted.
In addition to voter apathy, independent candidates are also grappling with pressure from security forces, election officials, and rival candidates. In Perm, 20-year-old city council candidate Aleksey Ogloblin said his rivals stole his brochures and used fake social media accounts to prevent him from collecting signatures. In Chelyabinsk, activist Mikhail Popov injured his spine after jumping from a second-floor window while fleeing police who came to his home, ending his campaign. In St. Petersburg, independent candidate Yaroslav Kostrov was detained for 10 days on the grounds that he shared a photo of a brochure containing logos of banned platforms on social media five years ago, and lost his right to participate in the elections due to this conviction.
Although the fuel crisis and economic hardships caused by Ukraine's drone attacks are increasing public discontent, this is not translating into support for independent candidates. While public transport fares have been raised in at least 25 regions, suburban and intercity services have been cut in 10 regions. Despite this, the increase in political engagement on social media has largely shifted toward systemic opposition parties.
Experts predict that in this election process, which coincides with the summer holiday and is held on a single day, the presence of independent candidates will remain almost symbolic.
