A senior official close to the Kremlin said that the ruling bloc aims to make the election system more manageable ahead of the upcoming State Duma elections. In the forum speech, the message was conveyed that the three-day voting, electronic voting, and reduction in the number of parties should be maintained. The official argued that the three-day voting practice provides convenience for voters. However, it was also emphasized that this model offers significant advantages to the ruling power in terms of election management. The speech indicated that continuing the system in its current form is among the Kremlin's priorities. The same speech also conveyed that reducing the number of parties in the country is among the goals. Lowering the number of parties eligible to participate in elections is seen as a step towards narrowing the political field. The speech also drew attention to balancing messages directed at some parties. The official assured that the Communists' second place would be preserved. It was also conveyed that Fair Russia would be given a chance for parliamentary representation. This statement was interpreted as part of the political messages given to party leaderships before the elections. Especially, the impression was formed that the Communist Party is under pressure in shaping candidate lists and that the Kremlin is trying to soften this. The speech also included evaluations regarding the remote electronic voting system and mobile internet outages. While electronic voting was emphasized as an important tool for managing election results, it was stated that internet restrictions could complicate this system. Looking at the overall picture, it is understood that the message reveals that elections are seen more as an administratively managed mechanism than a technical process. The Kremlin's approach offers a framework based on fewer parties, more controlled voting methods, and a narrower political competition field.
