September 16, 2026

Vote to Get Gym Class Credits!


Vote to Get Gym Class Credits!
United Russia billboard in Churapcha, Yakutia, promoting the upcoming Duma election. Sauit, Wikimedia Commons.

On September 12, independent outlet Meduza reported that students at a Moscow university were promised credit for three classes in exchange for voting digitally in the upcoming Duma elections. The news spread after a screenshot from a Telegram channel was sent to media outlets. 

On September 8, P.E. teacher Yegor Lazarev sent a text to the National Research Nuclear University soccer students' Telegram group chat. The coach's message invited Moscow-matriculated students to vote in the upcoming legislative election starting on September 18.

The message included steps for voting digitally on the "Mos.ru" website, including receiving a verification code via SMS. The coach clarified that voters had to be 18 years old or older. Lazarev wrote in his message, "The vote can be for whomever you want!" He ended by offering students the chance to receive credit for three classes in exchange for their votes. Students who wished to partake had to send a "+" with their full name and phone number in the chat.

According to Meduza, digital voting in Moscow also generated controversy during the 2021 State Duma elections. Opposition and government candidates' vote counts were neck and neck in nine of the capital's constituencies. But, after electronic votes were added into the count, government-backed candidates in these neighborhoods were declared the winners.

Polls close on September 20.

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