In the run up to the 2026 Russian legislative election, various organisations carried out opinion polling to gauge voting intention in Russia. The results of these polls are displayed in this article. Polls were conducted only for the 225 seats elected on the party list. Another 225 deputies are elected directly in single member constituencies, where the party can obtain a completely different result.
The date range for these opinion polls are from the 2021 Russian legislative election, held on 17–19 September, until the time next election will be held.
Impact of state censorship and data restrictions The reliability and accuracy of opinion polling have been a subject of significant debate among political analysts and international observers. Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the Russian government introduced strict wartime censorship laws, including penalties for "discrediting" the armed forces, which critics argue heavily skews polling data due to respondent fear and preference falsification. In the spring of 2026, amid the run-up to the September parliamentary elections, independent media reported that the state-run Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) ceased the public release of its monthly "open-ended" trust poll for President Vladimir Putin after his rating in that specific metric dropped to 29.5% in April—its lowest level since the beginning of the war.
The "open-ended" method, where respondents must name politicians they trust without prompts, showed a stark contrast to "closed-ended" questions (where Putin's name is explicitly offered), which consistently yielded much higher results (around 73%). Furthermore, the polling environment in early 2026 was affected by mounting technical restrictions. Frustration among the electorate grew due to widespread government crackdowns on the mobile internet, messaging applications, and VPN services. While authorities defended these measures as necessary for national security, political bloggers and some politicians issued unusually public warnings that growing public dissatisfaction, combined with a declining baseline of support for the ruling United Russia party, could heighten the risk of regional unrest and necessitate substantially larger electoral manipulation ahead of the September vote.
Graphical summary
Pre-campaign
Exit polls
Federal exit polls
+ ExtremeScan: party named by day of votingVoting dayURCPRFLDPRSRNPRPPSJOthersLeadAll (n=453)44.223.110.14.613.12.62.321.1Friday, 18 Sep55.515.88.94.911.12.31.539.7Saturday, 19 Sep46.016.713.06.012.54.21.629.3Sunday, 20 Sep24.639.89.33.017.41.44.515.2
Electoral ratings Fieldwork datePolling firmAffiliationResponse rateSamplesizeURCPRFLDPRSRNPRPPSJCRGreensRodinaPPDInvalid ballotLead18–20 SepExtremeScanIndependent46.9%98020.310.64.62.16.01.21.10.89.745344.223.110.14.613.12.62.3–21.118–20 SepWCIOMGovernment55.1%266,35449.414.210.76.69.73.32.11.11.00.4–35.218–20 SepINSOMARGovernment64.4%137,65752.814.89.95.58.63.1––38
Exit polls abroad
Fieldwork datePolling firmAffiliationSamplesizeCountryURCPRFLDPRSRNPRPPSJCRGreensRodinaPPDAnswer refusalInvalid ballotBallot trashed or taken awayLead?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition2,227Serbia0.423.442.110.462.730.850.362.43–0.44.382.430.0939.29?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition1,567Germany2.2316.592.110.736.691.150.642.490.130.5131.783.771.2120.1?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition870Czech Republic1.3818.743.450.3549.541.031.032.760.230.6917.702.870.2330.8?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition694France4.3213.261.870.2938.910.140.292.59–0.1535.302.740.1425.65?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition593South Korea1.3517.873.200.8432.210.510.512.53–0.8438.621.010.5114.34?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition584Netherlands0.6918.491.030.5156.850.34–1.710.170.1715.934.11–38.36?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition467United States4.7114.781.711.0735.551.291.713.850.211.0730.842.141.0720.77?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition427Armenia5.6227.170.700.2355.740.940.231.170.240.235.622.11–28.57?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition378Argentina0.2620.371.850.2746.030.260.534.23–0.5322.493.18–25.66?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition238Lithuania1.6823.951.262.1034.04––2.10––27.736.300.8410.09?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition228Belgium5.2619.741.762.6336.40––2.63––28.513.07–16.66?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition224Luxembourg7.1414.281.340.4544.64––2.680.890.4525.002.680.4530.36?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition198Poland1.5122.222.531.0150.000.50–1.52––14.655.560.5027.78?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition163Norway6.7510.434.912.4528.831.23–3.68–1.2330.679.82–18.40?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition149Spain–22.15––54.360.67–4.70–1.3414.772.01–32.21?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition135Austria1.4814.821.48–38.520.740.743.70–0.7433.334.45–23.70?Vesna & Progress Banned Liberal Opposition105Slovenia1.9112.381.91–56.190.95–0.95–0.9520.004.76–43.81?Vote AbroadBanned Liberal Opposition519Estonia6.010.00.21.211.20.80.21.30.20.068.01.0–1.2
Regional exit polls
Fieldwork datePolling firm / sourceAffiliationSamplesizeRegionURCPRFLDPRSRNPRPPSJCRGreensRodinaPPDAnswer refusalInvalid ballotLead18–20 SepCHRMCRBGovernment150,000Bashkortostan629.68.77.88.00.80.80.80.8–35–52.418–20 SepRealnoye Vryemia??Tatarstan71.711.24.32.46.70.60.50.80.30.4–~160.518–20 SepNovosti Yakutska??Sakha Republic54.315.65.77.412.90.91.40.70.40.1–0.638.7?Kurs Dela??Chelyabinsk Oblast488.812.115.210.8–––––40–32.8? Vesti Omsk (GTRK Irtysh)Government?Omsk Oblast41.612.472.57.52.21.40.40.20.124.30.529.218–20 SepURA.RU??Perm Krai471814412–––––––2918–20 SepMosaica.ru??Ulyanovsk Oblast522311–11–––––––2918–20 SepChuvashinform (Sotsis)??Chuvashia4220~5––––––2218–20 SepRBCGovernment60,000Saint Petersburg57912310––5––42145~20 SepLenTV24Government - Drozdenko?Leningrad Oblast58––––––––––––18–20 SepBARS?16,000Ivanovo Oblast55151258–––––33–40
Polls by Constituencies
+ Exit poll in Saint Petersburg published by Yabloko, constituency No. 218, 18–20 September 2026 (34 polling stations, 2,733 respondents)QuestionSamplesizeURYablokoCPRFLDPRSRNPRPPSJCRGreensRodinaPPDAnswer refusalInvalid ballotLeadVote resultsWhich party did you vote for in the State Duma election?2,00330.9–24.58.96.922.81.60.43.10.70.125.51.26.4Which candidate did you vote for in the State Duma election?1,64625.6Milonov29.0Khorzov15.6Ivliev7.8Malkov5.6Kubatyan14.3Suturina––2.0Litvyak––39.10.73.4Yabloko scenariosModel scenario: if Yabloko were on the ballot2,16526.737.313.36.35.28.51.00.30.80.6–20.30.410.6Which party did those who would vote for Yabloko actually vote for?6456.2–31.66.54.042.51.70.27.1–0.217.32.710.9Would you vote for Yabloko if it ran? (yes/no answers only)2,117Yes: 38.1% (807) · No: 61.9% (1,310)8.0––Would you vote for Yabloko if it ran? (all answers)2,733Yes: 29.5% · No: 47.9% · Undecided: 14.6% (398) · Refused: 8.0% (218)–––Respondent profileSex2,733Women: 62.06% (1,696) · Men: 37.94% (1,037)–––Age2,73318–29: 17.71% (484) · 30–44: 22.98% (628) · 45–59: 22.54% (616) · 60+: 36.77% (1,005)–––
Fieldwork datePolling firm / SourceAffiliationSamplesizeSMCURCPRFLDPRSRNPRPPSJCRRodinaSelf-nominatedInvalid ballotLead20 Sep 2026Po kom ZvonovskyCPRF-Aligned?1594523Leskin8Stepanov4Diyanchuk12Tomchuk–4Selivanov–2Mikulov12220 Sep 2026Po kom ZvonovskyCPRF-Aligned?16034Sakeev29Kalashnikov13Naydenov6Maryakhin13Motryukov1Perfilova–2Barsuk3Ershov–520 Sep 2026Po kom ZvonovskyCPRF-Aligned?1614531Bobrova9Menshikh2Sazonov13Markarov––––11420 Sep 2026Po kom ZvonovskyCPRF-Aligned?16256Trifonov19Usov9Gutnik4Guseynov11Pukhaev––––13720 Sep 2026Po kom ZvonovskyCPRF-Aligned?16335Zhivaykin43Matveyev9Venediktov4Pletneva–3Sarantseva2Minaev––48
Forecast polls Fieldwork datePolling firmAffiliationTurnoutSamplesizeURCPRFLDPRSRNPRPPSJCRGreensRodinaPPDLead4–6 SepFOMGovernment541,50047-4914-1710-126-78-102-3<11-21<13031–6 SepWCIOMGovernment51-531,60051-5313-159-114-69-112-536
Campaign polls Polls conducted after the election is called.
Electoral ratings Fieldwork datePolling firmAffiliationSamplesizeURCPRFLDPRSRNPRPPSJYablokoCRGreensRodinaPPDOthersUndecidedAbstentionLead4-10 Sep ExtremeScan Independent 80031.816.68.64.110.31.824.60.50.51.20.0–––7.235.623.911.05.916.22.8–0.72.21.30.4–––11.723.916.07.34.010.81.9[18.0]0.51.40.90.35.719.38.15.94–6 SepFOMGovernment1,500331010452–0100–18152331 Aug – 6 SepWCIOMGovernment1,60037.413.19.94.510.44.410.98.424.328–30 AugFOMGovernment1,50033911342–0110–20152224–30 AugWCIOMGovernment1,60037.211.68.75.311.54.711.18.625.621–23 AugFOMGovernment1,50032107362–1100–22162217–23 AugWCIOMGovernment1,60039.211.79.74.110.84.110.58.627.514–16 AugFOMGovernment1,5003389481–1110–17162510–16 AugWCIOMGovernment1,60036.011.410.13.810.46.310.89.524.610 AugSupreme Court of Russia disqualifies Yabloko from party-list competition.7–9 AugFOMGovernment1,50037111145140100–1410263–8 AugWCIOMGovernment1,60034.012.310.14.88.712.79.27.221.731 Jul – 2 AugFOMGovernment1,5003591048120100–14132527 Jul – 2 AugWCIOMGovernment1,60032.110.49.35.88.610.313.78.721,724–26 JulFOMGovernment1,50035101046221110–151425JulyUkrainian Armed Forces isolation of Crimea causes humanitarian crisis in the region20–26 JulWCIOMGovernment1,60033.59.78.06.09.59.214.78.423.818 JulBeginning of the series of Ukrainian strikes on Wildberries warehouses17–19 JulFOMGovernment1,50033111137210110–17122213–19 JulWCIOMGovernment1,60032.711.99.65.410.510.012.87.120.8JulExtremeScanIndependent–24138-11-4---1110–12 JulFOMGovernment1,5003611947121100–189256–12 JulWCIOMGovernment1,60035.310.18.24.010.710.013.17.624.63–5 JulFOMGovernment1,5003591137210100–17122429 Jun – 5 JulWCIOMGovernment1,60034.610.310.45.411.57.311.28.723.126–28 JunFOMGovernment1,5003781037211000–17122722–28 JunWCIOMGovernment1,60032.611.39.05.411.55.613.310.321.1JunSharp worsening of Russian fuel crisis19–21 JunFOMGovernment1,5003591037211100–151325JunACF SociologyACF - Banned Liberal Opposition–188638-11124231015–21 JunWCIOMGovernment1,60033.810.79.45.712.07.012.68.121.849.8218.937.557.465.842.451.341.271.550.80–0.92 (48.28)30.89
Alleged nationwide closed Kremlin polls Closed Kremlin opinion polls are classified public opinion surveys conducted on behalf of the Russian government, specifically the Presidential Administration of Russia (the Kremlin). These polls are intended exclusively for the country's top leadership and are used to assess actual public sentiment, monitor protest potential, and inform key political decisions. Closed polling utilizes different methodologies and much larger sample sizes to gauge the true state of society.
Fieldwork dateSourcePolling firmSamplesizeURCPRFLDPRSRNPRPPSJYablokoCRGreensRodinaPPDOthersUndecidedAbstentionLeadEnd of JulNezavisimaya GazetaUnknown??????9,38????End of JulMeduzaFOM??????5,5????
Miscellaneous polls
+ Which party would best handle problems in the following areas? (Russian Field, 24–31 July 2026, telephone survey, 1,600 respondents)Policy areaURCPRFLDPRSRNPYablokoCommunists (unspecified)OtherAny partyNoneUndecidedLeadFighting crime211493440.61.40.216287Defense271261.5430.61.40.3152915Economy211253650.71.50.217289Foreign policy281062550.520.1162718Education181663840.620.217272Healthcare191644640.61.50.217283Migration policy1812102540.31.20.414326