No Yardstick

Russia will hold regular regional and local elections on September 12-14 . The “single day of voting” – admittedly, the name is a little confusing given that since 2020 elections in many regions have been held over two or three days – has, over the years, become the start of Russia’s fall political season: a time for governors to demonstrate that they are controlling their regions; for political managers to market their skills; and for decision-makers to make potentially unpopular announcements after the votes. It would be foolish to analyze these votes as “real” elections, but they are nonetheless important even under the circumstances of Russia’s hard authoritarianism.