This survey took place between 9-12 September 2016 and was conducted throughout all of Russia in both urban and rural settings. The survey was carried out among 1600 people over the age of 18 in 137 localities of 48 of the country’s regions. The survey was conducted as a personal interview in respondents’ homes. The answer distribution is presented as percentages of the number of participants along with data from previous surveys.
The statistical error of these studies for a selection of 1600 people (with a probability of 0.95) does not exceed:
3.4% for indicators around 50%
2.9% for indicators around 25%
2.0% for indicators around 10%
1.5% for indicators around 5%
Debates and pre-election campaigning
DID YOU SEE ANY OF THE TELEVISED DEBATES BETWEEN PARTY LEADERS IN THE LAST TEN DAYS?
| Nov.07 | Nov.07 | Oct.11 | Nov.11 | Aug.16* | Sept.16 | |
| Yes | 29 | 47 | 20 | 49 | 33 | 38 |
| No | 64 | 49 | 76 | 47 | 67 | 57 |
| It is difficult to say | 7 | 4 | 5 | 4 | – | 5 |
*Question was given with a different answer selection. Details here.
WHAT INFLUENCE COULD PRE-ELECTION DEBATES BETWEEN PARTY LEADERS HAVE ON YOUR VOTING DECISION?
| Nov.07 | Nov.07 | Oct.11 | Nov.11 | Nov.11 | Sept.16 | |
| Very great | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Somewhat great | 16 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 |
| Somewhat small | 18 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 20 |
| Very small | 14 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 15 |
| None | 43 | 44 | 35 | 36 | 35 | 36 |
| It is difficult to say | 7 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 11 |
IN YOUR OPINION, WHICH PARTY OR PARTIES’ REPRESENTATIVES WERE MOST INTERESTING AND CONVINCING DURING THE TELEVISED DEBATES? (as a percentage of those respondents, who watched the debates)
| Nov.03 | Nov.11 | Sept.16 | |
| United Russia | 13 | 33 | 38 |
| Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) | 24 | 52 | 38 |
| Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) | 15 | 35 | 25 |
| A Just Russia | – | 31 | 19 |
| Communists of Russia | – | – | 9 |
| Russian United Democratic Party, Yabloko | 14 | 15 | 9 |
| Russian Party of Pensioners for Justice | – | – | 7 |
| Rodina | 12 | – | 6 |
| People’s Freedom Party (PARNAS) | 15** | – | 6 |
| Party of Growth | – | 3*** | 6 |
| Russian Ecological Party, the “Greens” | <1 | – | 5 |
| Civic Platform | – | – | 3 |
| Patriots of Russia | – | 4 | 2 |
| Civilian Power | – | – | 1 |
| It is difficult to say | – | 11 | 21 |
** Union of Rightist Forces party
*** Just Cause party.
IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS, WHICH POLITICIANS’ PRESENTATIONS MADE THE GREATEST IMPRESSION ON YOU? (as a percentage of those respondents who watched the debates; open question – respondents named politicians THEMSELVES)
| Nov.07 | Nov.11 | Sept.16 | |
| Zhirinovsky | 51 | 63 | 44 |
| Zyuganov | 24 | 35 | 24 |
| Mironov | 22 | 25 | 14 |
| Medvedev | 5 | 12 | 12 |
| Yavlinsky | 16 | 17 | 6 |
| Putin | 22 | 16 | 6 |
| Kasyanov | <1 | <1 | 4 |
| Other politicians | 41 | 8 | 25 |
| LDPR (unspecified) | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| UNITED RUSSIA (unspecified) | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| CPRF (unspecified) | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| A JUST RUSSIA (unspecified) | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| YABLOKO (unspecified) | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Other parties | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Don’t know \ don’t recall\ no answer | 6 | 12 | 24 |
JUDGING BY PARTY LEADERS’ MEDIA PRESENTATIONS, TELEVISION ADS, AND OTHER FORMS OF PRE-ELECTION CAMPAIGNING, WHICH PARTY OR GROUP, IN YOUR OPINION, IS RUNNING THE MOST EFFECTIVE CAMPAIGN?
| Nov.07 | Oct.11 | Sept.16 | |
| United Russia | 23 | 44 | 28 |
| Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) | 8 | 7 | 8 |
| Communist Party of Russia (CPRF) | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| A Just Russia | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Other parties | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| None | 10 | 15 | 14 |
| It is difficult to say | 44 | 23 | 38 |
DO YOU THINK THAT ALL PARTIES AND GROUPS HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO RUN ELECTORAL CAMPAIGNS, OR DO SOME HAVE AN ADVANTAGE OVER OTHERS? IF YOU BELIEVE THAT SOME PARTIES HAVE AN ADVANTAGE, PLEASE NAME THE PARTIES
| Nov.03 | Nov.07 | Nov.11 | Sept.16 | |
| United Russia | 31 | 27 | 47 | 24 |
| Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Communist Party of Russia (CPRF) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| A Just Russia | – | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Other parties | 3 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| None | 17 | 20 | 32 | 26 |
| It is difficult to say | 46 | 47 | 17 | 43 |
WHICH PARTIES ARE SUBJECT TO THE MOST ADMINISTRATIVE PRESSURE AND “DIRTY TRICKS” IN THESE ELECTIONS?
| Nov.07 | Nov.11 | Sept.16 | |
| People’s Freedom Party (PARNAS)* | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| United Russia | 3 | 9 | 4 |
| Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) | 6 | 11 | 2 |
| A Just Russia | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| United Russian Democratic Party, Yabloko | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Other parties | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| None | 14 | 22 | 26 |
| It is difficult to say | 68 | 47 | 56 |
In 2007, Union of Rightist Forces and Just Cause were given instead of PARNAS
Electoral abuses
DO YOU THINK THAT WE WILL ENCOUNTER THE FOLLOWING ABUSES DURING THE COMING SEPTEMBER STATE DUMA ELECTIONS? (multiple answers)
| 2007 | 2011 | 2016 | ||||||
| Apr.07 | Oct.07 | Jan.11 | Aug.11 | Nov.11 | Feb.16 | Aug.16 | Sept.16 | |
| Election rigging by local/regional election committees | 39 | 28 | 23 | 23 | 31 | 22 | 21 | 16 |
| Campaign advantages given to United Russia | 26 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 15 |
| Authorities bribing voters | 33 | 24 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 13 | 15 | 10 |
| Opposition bribing voters | 30 | 20 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 10 |
| Election rigging by the Central Election Commission | 23 | 18 | 14 | 18 | 31 | 11 | 13 | 8 |
| Banning of parties unpopular with authorities | 26 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 9 | 7 |
| Exclusion of parties unpopular with authorities from election lists | 26 | 19 | 14 | 16 | 11 | 16 | 8 | 7 |
| Other abuses | <1 | <1 | 1 | 1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 |
| There will be no abuses | 8 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 22 |
| It is difficult to say | 18 | 21 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 35 |
IN YOUR OPINION, HOW SERIOUSLY WILL THESE ABUSES INFLUENCE THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION? (as a percentage of those respondents, who believe that abuses are possible during the upcoming elections)
| 2007 | 2011 | 2016 | |||||
| Apr.07 | Jan.11 | Aug.11 | Nov.11 | Feb.16 | Aug.16 | Sept.16 | |
| Very seriously | 22 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 14 |
| Somewhat seriously | 44 | 49 | 44 | 39 | 34 | 40 | 40 |
| Not very seriously | 23 | 24 | 33 | 30 | 33 | 35 | 31 |
| It will have almost no influence | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 5 | 8 |
| It is difficult to say | 4 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 8 |
Translated by Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (formerly Monterey Institute of International Studies).