VPN checks initiated via electronic voting system in Moscow
Daniel
2026-09-19
Read time
2 minutes
An activity aimed at detecting circumvention tools among users has been recorded on the remote electronic voting platform in the capital. According to a technical analysis, the voting website requests the loading of an image from a popular video hosting platform that is restricted in the country. The response of the system shows whether the resource is accessible, and these details are sent to the server prior to authorization.
Such an algorithm allows the organizers of the process to match the voter's identity with the usage of tools designed to bypass restrictions. Both operations are logged together on the server, though the exact purpose of this data collection and the duration of its storage remain unclear. Nevertheless, this verification does not prevent users from participating in the voting process.
During these days, elections to the State Duma are taking place in the country over a three-day period. On the first day, the overall voter turnout nationwide exceeded 20% by afternoon and reached 29.61% by late evening.
The highest turnout rates on the first day were recorded in the Bryansk Region at 64.49% and Chechnya at 63.2%. In the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, the turnout reached 77.57% and 63.87% respectively. In Moscow, the turnout reached 28.58%, in the Moscow Region it was 24.32%, and in Saint Petersburg it stood at 26.59%. In Crimea, the turnout was recorded at 24.9%, while the lowest rates were observed in the Novosibirsk Region at 16.07% and Khakassia at 13.84%.
On the federal electronic platform, over 2.8 million citizens cast their votes by the end of the first day, representing approximately 70% of all voters registered in the system. The leaders in online voting turnout were the Smolensk and Novgorod regions at 80%, followed by the Mari El Republic at 79%.
This electoral campaign is being held in a three-day format for the second time. In comparison, five years ago, the turnout on the first day of voting was 18.4%, with the final total turnout reaching 51.7%.
Using a reliable service like HiroVPN helps users protect their personal data from such hidden analysis and avoid related difficulties when browsing online.
