Last Sunday, on a single voting day (UDG), local and regional elections of various levels were held in 83 constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
Including in 20 regions governors were elected, in 11 - regional parliaments.
By-elections were held in Tatarstan, Kursk, Penza and Yaroslavl regions in single-mandate constituencies of State Duma deputies.
This time, based on the experience of the summer voting for amendments to the Constitution, it was decided to extend the voting for three days.
The campaign ended on Thursday.
And on Friday and Saturday, citizens could already vote in advance.
The main voting day took place on Sunday 13 September.
In general, this practice of three-day voting, despite the innovation, is already widely accepted by citizens.
It turned out to be very convenient.
Of course, the load on the organizers, election participants, observers has increased, but is it really for the comfort of the organizers that elections are being held?
In this case, voting in several days additionally ensures the constitutional right of citizens to participate in elections.
True, this short story did not go to everyone.
The "Zyuganovites", for example, considered that their failure in a number of regions was due to the fact that this three-day voting was to blame for everything, which brought an additional number of voters to the polling stations and was clearly not in their favor.
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation even promised to introduce into the State Duma a law prohibiting a convenient procedure recognized by voters.
So with the Bolshevik straightforwardness, "bees against honey."
Well.
Apparently, it will come back to haunt them next year at the big elections to the State Duma.
In general, this EDG is special for two reasons.
Firstly, this is the first elections after the pandemic quarantine, and, of course, in a number of regions this circumstance had a significant impact on the course of the campaign.
Secondly, this is the last single day before the 2021 Duma elections.
That is, for many participants and organizers, it became a dress rehearsal for the federal campaign.
Small and new parties actively fought for seats in regional parliaments, which gives them the right not to collect signatures in support of their participation in the Duma elections.
Now those who have managed to get representation in regional legislative assemblies are guaranteed to register their lists of candidates for State Duma deputies at the CEC next year.
The past EDG campaigns revealed another interesting fact.
Practically all the myths about this voting, inflated through a straw of numerous anonymous Telegram channels the day before, were dispelled by practice.
It is worth noting here that the ability to blot out the Internet space through a sect of followers of a popular blogger and real political work in the elections to attract voters' support are two big differences.
The myth of the omnipotent "smart voting", which Navalny's witnesses hammered into the immature Twitter minds, turned out to be nothing in practice.
They managed to achieve the result within the margin of error.
It was reported that even a local Russian nationalist entered the city council through this system.
In the same social networks, this UG Navalny received a stable decryption of "dull vote".
Another myth, inflated since the end of spring, that it is a mistake to vote on amendments in the middle of summer.
All the post-pandemic electoral energy will spill out there, and in September the elections will fail by turnout. "
As we can see, almost everywhere in the country the turnout was traditional for this region and campaign level.
Even higher than usual in many places.
Especially those sofa experts and their offline colleagues who, roaming on the brown thick, predicted 4-5 second rounds in the gubernatorial elections, have been disgraced with a great disgrace.
As we can see, all the acting governors and governors, supported by President Putin, with different results, but won already in the first round.
For example, with a rather low (traditionally) turnout in the Irkutsk region slightly above 30%, Acting Kobzev received 60.79%, while his predecessor, the communist Levchenko, who lost the president's confidence after the failure of the elimination of the consequences of the flood in Tulun, in a similar situation in 2015 with turnout of 29% received only 36.6%.
Among other things, the result of the voting on this three-pronged day revealed the failure of the opposition, both unconventional and systemic.
If everything is clear with the "navalnyats", they are generally not about elections, then some old parties cause confusion.
In a number of regions where the positions of the Duma opposition were considered strong, their candidates did not pass or were on the verge of a foul.
Of course, an alarming agenda mobilizes citizens around the authorities, but nevertheless, work on mistakes is worth doing.
Moreover, there is very little time left for rebuilding on the march.
After the New Year, active preparations for the Duma elections begin.
Those who do not have time to learn the lessons of the current EDG have nothing to do in the Duma of the eighth convocation.
The author's point of view may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.