Russia will hold elections to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, from Friday and experts expect the vote to consolidate President Vladimir Putin’s power base in the Kremlin.It’s widely expected that the ruling United Russia party will secure a “convincing victory” in the vote that takes place between September 17-19, with one analyst noting that the election “heralds more authoritarianism” as a result.“The Kremlin’s objective is to retain a constitutional majority, ensure the vote’s legitimacy, and avoid large-scale post-election protests. Major changes in the cabinet or the government’s policy direction are unlikely after the vote,” Andrius Tursa, Central and Eastern Europe advisor at Teneo Intelligence, said in a note ahead of the vote.Around 108 million voters in Russia have a right to elect 450 members of the State Duma for a five-year term. Voting this year is taking place over a three-day period due to the Covid-19 pandemic. United Russia has been the dominant party in the country for decades and it enthusiastically supports Putin although he has run as an independent candidate since 2018.Adeline Van Houtte, Europe analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, noted Wednesday that the vote will be an important test for United Russia given insufficient financial support for businesses and households, together with a weakening labour market that has dented the party’s popularity in recent years.“United Russia is now polling at around 30%, substantially lower than in 2016. Despite its poor ratings, it maintains a comfortable lead over its biggest competitors. We expect United Russia and other pro-Kremlin affiliates to retain a large majority in the Duma.”cnbc.com