MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/. Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC) has validated the results of the State Duma elections held on September 17-19. All 15 members of the CEC signed a protocol and summary tables containing the voting results.

"The final protocols of election commissions involved in the State Duma elections fairly reflect the outcome of the vote," CEC Chairperson Ella Pamfilova pointed out. According to her, the CEC "certifies the State Duma elections as valid."

CEC member Yevgeny Kolyushin, who represents the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), expressed "a special opinion" on the results of the vote.

The results of the voting were nullified at 19 polling stations across Russia, Pamfilova said. "At 19 polling stations, which is one hundred thousandth of a percent, the results of the voting were nullified since it was impossible to ascertain the expression of the people’s will," she said. "Of them, the results of the voting in the State Duma election were nullified at 16 polling stations in nine regions - the city of St. Petersburg, the republics of Kalmykia and Crimea, the Stavropol Region, as well as the Ivanovo, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov and Tver regions," Pamfilova added.

As many as 40,605 ballot papers were invalidated at 157 polling stations in 43 Russian regions, she went on to say. "This is 0.0004% of the ballot papers given out to the voters. Is this a dirty campaign?" the CEC chairperson asked.

She also reiterated her appeals to flatly cancel the results of the voting in case "of even slightest doubts" about their validity.

Pamfilova stressed that the three-day voting, on September 17, 18 and 19, proved its value amid the coronavirus pandemic. "We will analyze this situation further," Pamfilova told the CEC meeting. Some were alleging "that this three-day voting is terrible-terrible-terrible, saying ‘we are against’. But the people are in favor," Pamfilova stressed.

Parliament election results

According to the CEC, United Russia gained 324 seats in parliament, the CPRF got 57, the A Just Russia - For Truth party received 27, the Liberal Democrartic Party (LDPR) secured 21 and New People won 13 seats. In addition, Rodina, the Party of Growth and the Civic Platform will send one MP each. The eighth State Duma will also include five independent lawmakers.

United Russia came in first in the 2016 elections, winning 343 seats, and was followed by the CPRF (42), the LDPR (39) and A Just Russia (23). Two seats went to Rodina and the Civil Platform and another one to an independent candidate.