Metro Morning Report
MOSCOW: The highly anticipated All-Russian online marathon “Election Night,” a key expert event coinciding with the Single Voting Day, concluded successfully at the Krasny Oktyabr venue. The tenth edition of the marathon brought together prominent figures from Russia’s political, academic, and civil society sectors, along with international observers, to discuss the state of democracy, electoral processes, and the evolving political landscape. The six-hour event covered crucial political and social topics and provided insights into the current election campaign and the expectations for its outcomes.
Participants in this landmark event included political scientists, sociologists, politicians, and observers from across the globe. Notable video messages were delivered by key figures such as Ella Pamfilova, Chairperson of the Central Electoral Commission of the Russian Federation; Sergei Mironov, Chairperson of the “A Just Russia – Patriots – For Truth” party; Leonid Slutsky, Chairman of the LDPR; Alexei Nechayev, Chairman of the “New People” party; and Sergei Perminov, Deputy Secretary of the General Council of United Russia. In her address, Ella Pamfilova underscored the significance of the event in promoting voter engagement: “Election Night plays a crucial role in simplifying the voting process for citizens and ensuring that our electoral system remains accessible and transparent.”
Sergei Mironov echoed these sentiments, highlighting the global broadcast of “Election Night” as a testament to Russia’s commitment to democracy: “This is a unique platform that stands as a bold response to critics. The world can witness firsthand how democracy is respected and upheld in Russia.” The event also served as a celebration of the project’s milestones since its inception in 2017. Among the speakers were prominent political and public figures, including Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Petr Tolstoy and State Duma deputies Sergei Boyarsky, Mikhail Delyagin, and Alexander Khinshtein. The event saw warm greetings from governors, including Mikhail Kotyukov of Krasnoyarsk Krai and Valery Limarenko of Sakhalin Oblast.
Yevgeny Minchenko, President of the Russian Public Relations Association, emphasized the distinctiveness of the “Election Night” format, stating: “While similar events exist globally, Russia’s format is unmatched due to the diversity of participants and the inclusiveness of media outlets.” The Single Voting Day covered 83 of Russia’s 89 regions, with approximately 57.5 million voters casting their ballots in 4,000 election campaigns. These elections spanned municipal to federal levels, with key campaigns focusing on the election of regional heads, including 25 gubernatorial elections.
International observers praised the transparency and professionalism of the Russian electoral system. Alain Corvez, a member of the Charles de Gaulle Foundation, commended Russia’s adherence to international norms, stating: “Despite attempts by external actors to discredit Russia, the elections were conducted in full compliance with democratic standards.” Klein Preston IV, Chairman of the Institute for Progress Through Law (USA), reinforced this view: “Russia has some of the freest and most open elections, demonstrating a high level of democratic engagement.”
