Duarte Pacheco

The seventh presidential election in Russia was held on 18 March 2018. With the exception of the election in Russia-annexed Crimea, this election is considered legitimate. The election held in Crimea for the Russian presidency is internationally considered to be an illegitimate election, see more on this at the election page 2018 Russian presidential election in annexed Crimea. The election took place under restrictions on fundamental freedoms and limited space for political engagement.

In Azerbaijan's September 1, 2024, snap parliamentary election, the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, led by President Ilham Aliyev, narrowly maintained its majority with 68 out of 125 seats. Held early to avoid conflicting with COP29 in Baku, the election saw limited opposition with 44 seats won by "independents" broadly aligned with the regime. Voting extended to Nagorno-Karabakh for the first time since 1994, underscoring Azerbaijan's control of the region. Despite a peaceful election day, international observers highlighted a lack of democratic standards, with low voter turnout (37%) and substantial restrictions on political freedoms, media access, and independent observation. The EPDE and OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) criticized the election’s credibility, noting extensive repression of opposition and the presence of fake observers.