Vote rigging claims mar Russian elections

The ruling United Russia party swept to victory in regional elections held on the 10 October 2010, but the results were marred by charges of vote rigging.

According to preliminary totals, the party received an average of 60% of votes across six provinces where legislatures were being elected, though votes were still being counted in thousands of mayoral and local elections across Russia. United Russia’s preliminary results were up slightly from the last round of regional elections, held in March 2010, which were judged to be comparatively clean by observers. The party then got about 50%.