A button instead of a ballot: online voting may come to a third of regions

Remote electronic voting (DEG) may significantly expand in the State Duma elections in 2026. According to Vedomosti sources, the Central Election Commission may allow online voting in 33 regions – more than a third of the country's constituent entities.

The issue will be considered on June 24. This concerns the elections of deputies to the State Duma of the ninth convocation and campaigns that will take place simultaneously with them. The Central Election Commission must also approve the procedure for conducting DEG and update the system requirements.

Previously, about 40 regions submitted applications for online voting, but not all receive approval. The commission assesses the quality of communication, the availability of "Gosuslugi" (Public Services portal), and the readiness of local infrastructure – without stable internet, this format cannot be implemented.

In 2025, DEG was used in 24 regions. At that time, more than 1.7 million applications were submitted for it, and voter turnout among those registered was 90.5%. In total, about 22 million people have voted through the electronic platform since 2019.

If the Central Election Commission approves the expansion, voting from a phone or computer will become available to a significantly larger number of voters in the autumn of 2026. Paper ballots will not disappear, however.