Results of our studies

8 September 2021. VCIOM present the findings of a survey among industrial workers on the issue as to whether the industrial workers experienced pressure towards participation in the voting or towards voting for a certain party. The survey was commissioned by the Expert Institute for Social Research.

An overwhelming majority of industrial workers (86%) say they did not experience pressure from the management towards participation in the voting: they were told about the importance of voting (12%); they were recommended to take part in the voting without any pressure (23%); in most cases they were told nothing (51%).

Only 13% of workers say they experienced pressure from the plant management: 9% say they were forced to take part in the voting but without further sanctions; 4% say they were threatened with consequences if they refuse.

A vast majority of industrial workers (94%) say they were not forced to vote for any party. Respondents in this group say they were either told about parties (3%), or told to vote for a certain party but without any pressure (10%); most of respondents did not face any pressure from the top management in terms of voting for a certain party (81%).

Only 5% say the opposite: 3% were forced to vote for a certain party; 2% were threatened in case of refusal.

The survey was commissioned by the Expert Institute for Social Research (EISI) and conducted on August 28-31, 2021.  A total of 1,600 industrial workers aged 18 and older were surveyed. Survey method:  telephone interviews using a stratified two-stage random sample of landline and mobile phone numbers belonging to industrial sector employees (including extractive sector).

Sometimes at plants or organizations different level managers may attempt to persuade the workers to participate in the voting. Did you face anything like that in relation to the upcoming State Duma elections, or not? If you did, what kind of problems did you face?  (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total industrial workers)

 

% of total industrial workers

I did not face any problems

51

I was recommended to take part in the voting but I felt no pressure

23

I was told about the importance of elections, asked to take part in the voting but I was not told to do any specific things 

12

I was ordered to take part in elections but without any sanctions

9

I was threatened with consequences, sanctions in case I refused
to take part in the voting

4

Other

0

Don’t know

1

Speaking about the voting, did anybody at work try to persuade you to vote for a certain party,
to influence your choice, or not? If any of this took place, what exactly did you face?

(closed-ended question, one answer, % of total industrial workers)

 

% of total industrial workers

I did not face anything like that

81

I was recommended to vote for a certain party but I felt no pressure 

10

They told me about parties, their position regarding those parties

3

They directly forced me to vote for a particular party but without any sanctions from employer’s side  

3

I was threatened with consequences, sanctions if I refused to vote for a particular party  

2

Other

1

Don’t know

0