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![United Russia performed better on Sunday than in legislative elections in 2011, exit polls showed [Xinhua]](http://thebricspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/258366218_8-e1473006560644.jpg)
United Russia performed better on Sunday than in legislative elections in 2011, exit polls showed [Xinhua]
Despite hundreds of opposition candidates running in the elections for the lower house of Parliament, United Russia won 51 per cent of the tally so far.
According to the TASS Russian news agency, the right-wing nationalistic Liberal Democratic Party won 17 per cent of the vote, while the Communist Party took 14.9 per cent of the vote.
Other parties, such as Just Russia earned under eight per cent of the vote.
At press time, smaller opposition blocs such as the Yabloko party won three per cent of the vote.
Opposition party Parnas won under two per cent.
Up for grabs are the 450 seats in the State Duma of the 7th convocation, the lower house of Parliament, for a five-year term.
These elections marked the first time opposition candidates were given air time on State-controlled media to advocate for their campaigns.
Some appeared on nationally televised debates ahead of the ballot.
The electoral commission said that voter turnout was around 40 per cent, markedly lower from the last legislative elections five years ago.
The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies
