The Institute of Gubernatorial Elections as a Marker of Regional Features of the Political Culture of Russians (based on the results of Russian single voting day-2023)

Abstract

The author examines the institution of elections of heads of subjects of the Russian Federation as a product of political and cultural orientations of both state and political figures of the federal and regional levels of government, and the ordinary citizens. Using comparative and statistical analysis, the relationship between political attitudes and expectations of Russians and the transformation of gubernatorial elections in the period from 1991 to 2022 is explored. The significance of the ethnonational and socio-economic specifics of the political culture of Russians in legitimizing such changes is described. During the analysis of direct gubernatorial elections in 2023, current features of political culture in the context of regions are noted, which may be important in the transformation of the institution of gubernatorial elections. The author compares the results of the gubernatorial campaigns of 2018 and 2023 from the point of view of the landscape of political involvement of Russians and the dynamics of support for federal parties in the regions. The phenomenon of distant electronic voting is analyzed, and the weakness of its perception by residents of Russian regions to ensure accessibility of elections and fair political competition.