INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
landscape all but devoid of meaningful competition.Voters will elect governors in 21 regions, legislative assembly members in 13 regions,
including two in annexed Crimea, and scores of local officials on Sept
6-8.In the Kursk region, a handful of municipal elections were postponed after Ukrainian forces launched a surprise cross-border incursion
However, the gubernatorial race has gone ahead as planned, starting early on Aug
28, despite Russia not having full control of the territory.Local election officials in the Kursk region were equipped with bulletproof
vests and helmets for safety as the voting began
electing all 45 members of its City Duma, eliminated paper ballots in favor of online voting
The capital is one of 25 regions offering online voting this election cycle, though state employees have voiced concerns about being
pressured to vote online since the system was introduced in 2020.Yabloko, a liberal opposition party advocating for a ceasefire in Ukraine,
had all of its candidates barred from running in St
However, nearly 60 candidates from the party managed to make the ballot in races across eight regions.Meanwhile, the independent election
is expected to release the voting results by Sept
