Russian voters' strategy in Stockholm: "A little less fascist"

Russian voters' strategy in Stockholm: "Something less fascist" The election is taking place at the Russian embassy in Stockholm. There is no anti-war party or opposition party on the ballot – yet, regime critics try to make their voices heard. – We try to choose something from the list that is less fascist, says Anastasiia, 31. A small group has gathered outside the embassy, a stone's throw from the Free Ukraine place, in Kungsholmen in Stockholm. No long queue ever forms, but perhaps ten to fifteen people at most. For most people, it doesn't take more than a few minutes to show the Russian passport, be admitted, and cast their vote in the stupid election. In front of the embassy are some parked police cars and a bit further away is another one. So far, it has been a calm, gray Sunday morning. 31-year-old Marina Ovchinnikova is one of those who has come here to vote. – I know how elections work in Russia and I don't fully trust them. But we'll see. Hope never dies, she says. The hope was to see the war-critical party Yabloko on the ballot, but that did not happen. In August, Russia's supreme court stopped the party from running. In Russia, polling stations have been open all weekend for the parliamentary election, which lacks democratic legitimacy. President Vladimir Putin's party United Russia has won all five elections held since 2001. But the Russian leadership wants people to go and vote. In some places, like where Marina's family lives, the whole thing is turned into a kind of festival. At the polling stations there are lotteries and those who participate in the election can receive gifts. – My sister got a cutting board and my mother got a toaster, she tells. Facts. The election for state Duma Russia holds elections for the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, on September 18-20. 450 seats are at stake, but it is far from a free and democratic election. According to the constitution, power in Russia should be divided between the president and the government, parliament, and the judiciary, but in practice most comes from the president. The parliamentary system is designed by and for Vladimir Putin's ruling party United Russia. The other parties are allowed to operate within the rules and support the Kremlin's line in large parts. Parties and candidates that have practiced real opposition have been eliminated by legal or violent means. The stupid election is held every five years. Half of the seats are elected according to a proportional system with party lists and half in single-member constituencies. In the official result of the 2021 election, United Russia received 49.8 percent of the votes. It received a large majority – 324 out of 450 seats – largely thanks to the single-member constituencies. The number of Russians living in Sweden has increased in recent years, from about 19,450 in 2015 to 26,680 at the end of 2025, according to Statistics Sweden (SCB). Andrey, 31, Daria, 32, and Anastasiia, 31, belong to that group. They have also come to the embassy to vote. – It was important for us to come here. It is still a legitimate way to say what we think in a safe way, says Daria. Anastasiia agrees. – We cannot do more in Russia. We cannot go there, we fled. But we can do something here. Last year when there was an election, we were here for six hours. It was a protest line. Andrey and Anastasiia left Russia before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. Daria left afterwards. All three voted based on the strategy of "Umnoye golosovaniye," or "smart voting." The method was launched in 2018 by the now deceased opposition politician Aleksej Navalnyj. The idea is to cast one's vote for the candidate or party that has the best chance to defeat United Russia and its candidates. There is no actual opposition party or anti-war party on the ballot. – We try to choose something from the list that is less fascist, says Anastasiia. Andrey adds that in this election they "at least don't vote for Putin". – For me it is important, he says and continues: – Our votes will probably count for less than one vote, but it is something. Andrej Klimenok, 62, just voted for Putin's United Russia party. He sees it as his duty to come and vote for the sake of democracy and for the country. – The most important thing for the development in Russia is that Russia remains Russia and is not influenced by foreigners, by outside forces. That is important. That they can do what they want and that one does not interfere with what they do, he says. Russia has always been an empire, Andrej believes, and then a strong rule is important. – Putin is a strong leader, definitely. He has his positive and negative sides, but he is a strong leader. What do your loved ones in Russia think about the election? Do they vote in the same way, do you think? – There is a saying in Russian that you should not change the horses when forcing the river. Now the situation for Russia is critical. I think it is important that the leadership stays. Three of the people outside the embassy wear neon yellow vests. They are collecting answers to a polling station survey. Those who want can stop and answer a few questions on a paddle about how they voted and whether they think the election result will reflect the voters' will. – It is great to see people answering the survey. I have also been there and voted today. It seems there are many with diplomatic passports voting, says Anna Vahlberg, 27, who is volunteering. For now, it is difficult to say anything about the statistics from the polling station survey. Previously, it has been seen that more people who vote for United Russia say they believe in the legitimacy of the election result. – I have decided that one must absolutely vote. If there is anything one can do to make it harder to falsify the election and the result, one should do it. I myself voted for one of the larger parties that is not United Russia, says Anna. A woman who wants to remain anonymous compares this election to the Swedish one from a week ago. One of the differences is the ballots themselves, she says. Instead of putting the ballot in an envelope, it is now folded. – The paper is like toilet paper. You fold it, but you can still see all the text. It is immediately visible if you have damaged the ballot, written something, and who you voted for. They can practically just take and rip them up if they don't want them, she says. Another woman who wants to remain anonymous says that she voted for the option furthest from United Russia, even if she does not think it will affect the result. She would have preferred the president to resign and call the war in Ukraine "shameful". – Russia is still my homeland and I love Russia, but what Putin has done is so terrible that I do not know how many decades will have to pass to recreate the image of our country. It is a tragedy.