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1,000 Russians in Estonia take part in early voting to Russian parliament

Elections to the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of Parliament, will be held on September 18 in a split system

TALLINN, September 17. /TASS/. At least 1,000 Russians have come to the polls in Estonia, taking part in early voting to Russia’s State Duma lower parliamentary house, the press secretary of Russian embassy in Estonia told TASS on Saturday.

"Early voting was held in Tallinn and Narva. At least 670 people cast their ballots in Narva and over 300 more in Tallinn," Denis Mosyukov said. "A total of 1,000 Russian nationals participated in the early voting."

Earlier, Russia’s embassy in Estonia said that on September 18 - the day of elections - nine polling stations would open their doors in that Baltic state: four in Tallinn, one in Tartu and four in Narva. Nearly 85,000 Russians, who live there permanently or temporarily, might come to the polls, according to the embassy’s estimates.

Elections to the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of Parliament, will be held on September 18 in a split system: 225 members of parliament will be elected by party tickets, while the other 225 are going to be elected in one-seat constituencies.

More than 111 million people are eligible to vote in the election and no minimal turnout is required.

Fourteen parties will be on the election ballot: the United Russia party, the Communist Party of Russia, the Liberal Democratic Party, A Just Russia party, Russia’s Patriots, Civil Platform, the Green party, the Party of Growth, Parnas, Civil Power, Russia’s Communists, Yabloko, Rodina (Motherland) and the Russian Party of Pensioners for Justice. Parties have to pass the five-percent electoral threshold to receive any seats in the Duma.