MOSCOW, December 18, 2007 Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents information as to when Russians made the final decision to participate in the elections to the State Duma on December 2 this year and how they motivate their participation in the elections or its absence.

The majority of respondents (71%) specify that their decision to vote was only made no later than two to three months before the day of the elections. 15% made up their minds to vote a week before December 2, whereas 7% decided that they should vote right on the day when the elections took place.

85% KPRF supporters and 74% "Unified Russia" voters adopted this decision well in advance, this share is a little lower among LDPR and "Fair Russia" voters and amounts to 66-69%. The share of those who decided to vote only a week before the elections is at its highest among "Fair Russia" supporters and totals for 28% (cf.: it accounts for 7% to 14% among the voters of the other three political parties). The decision to vote made right on December 2 is especially characteristic of LDPR supporters (11%, whereas it only totals 2% to 7% among other-party voters).

Voting in the elections is first of all a civic duty, as 60% of respondents who voted identified. "Unified Russia" supporters (66%) specify this reason more often than those of "Fair Russia" (58%), KPRF (52%) or LDPR (49%) do. The second place in the rating of election-participation motives belongs to willingness to support the parties or candidates that the voters trust (37%). This reason is more important to KPRF and LDPR supporters (43-45%) than to "Unified Russia" or "Fair Russia" voters (36-39%). In many cases respondents voted by force of habit, i.e. they "always go to vote" (29%), or because they do not want anybody else to make use of their vote (18%).

Respondents explain their not going to vote primarily by providing external circumstances as excuses, that being illness, bad weather, etc. (30%). Others indicate lack of interest in politics (17%) or that they did not have an absentee ballot (12%).  9-10% of respondents for each reason who did not vote admitted that there is no political party that they might like; that they are not satisfied with the state of affairs in the country and that the elections cannot change that, or that they do not believe in the fairness of the elections.

The younger the respondents were, the more often they referred to lack of interest in politics (24% among the youth of 18-24 years of age and 11% in the age group of "60 plus") or to the fact that they did not have an absentee ballot (17% and 5%) and the less often they mention the weather of their health status (25% and 36%) as a reason.

The initiative all-Russia opinion poll was conducted by VCIOM on December 8-9, 2007. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 153 population areas of 46 regions of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%.