1991 Russian presidential election
On the 14th of March 1991, Russians voted in a referendum to create the office of president. This vote came after months of political maneuvering within the Supreme Soviet of Russia. Communist candidates had won 86% of the seats in the lower chamber during the 1990 legislative election. Boris Yeltsin became Chair of that body on the 31st of May 1990 through a close vote. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev tried unsuccessfully to stop Yeltsin from taking power. Yeltsin pushed hard for a direct popular mandate separate from the legislature. The Congress of People's Deputies stalled for over a week after the referendum. They finally ordered legislation creation on the 4th of April 1991. A provisional date of the 12th of June was set before any official timeline existed. The election would jointly elect individuals to serve five-year terms as president and vice-president.
Voter invitation cards for the election showed a unique joint ticket system unlike later Russian votes. Any citizen between ages 35 and 65 could run for president under rules passed on the 24th of April. Citizens over age 18 were eligible to cast ballots. A 50% turnout threshold was required to validate the entire election process. Candidates needed either 100,000 voter signatures or support from 25% of Congress members to register. Election commission chairman Vasilii Kazakov announced a budget of 155 million rubles in mid-May. The deadline for nominations fell on the 18th of May for both presidential and vice-presidential running mates. Originally presidents had to renounce party membership but parliament removed that requirement on the 23rd of May. If no candidate won 50%, a runoff would occur within two weeks after the first round.
Boris Yeltsin ran as an independent supported by Democratic Russia despite his vast lead. Nikolai Ryzhkov stood as the only official Communist Party nominee among four communist candidates. Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Albert Makashov also entered the race with their own vice-presidential partners. Aman Tuleyev and Vadim Bakatin joined the list of nine total contenders. Communists hoped multiple candidates would siphon enough votes to force a runoff vote. They believed political climate might shift unfavorably toward Yeltsin by fall. Yeltsin took a relaxed approach with few policy specifics while opponents attacked aggressively. His campaign avoided heightening rhetoric even though he held a gargantuan lead. Opponents trailing far behind took many shots at him and each other during the final weeks.
Colonel General Nikolai Shlyaga told representatives on the 30th of April that the army should influence election outcomes. The Defense Ministry issued directives in early June forbidding spy-democrats from campaigning among military units. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev sought to prevent Yeltsin victory despite official neutrality. He encouraged more candidates hoping to split the vote below the 50% threshold. The central government-run ORT television channel criticized Yeltsin while providing broad coverage to opponents. RSFSR-run RTR gave positive coverage to Yeltsin but faced signal interference from local Communist authorities. Leonid Kravchenko banned scheduled broadcasts by RSFSR TV on the 27th of April before allowing regular transmissions on the 13th of May. Pravda published an attack calling Yeltsin disloyal, authoritarian and incompetent just two days before voting began.
Some ballots distributed lacked seals containing signatures of electoral commission members on their reverse sides. Votes cast with such errant ballots were deemed void across multiple regions. One ballot printing location in Moscow Oblast mixed up presidential and vice-presidential candidate pairings for 25,000 copies. On May 16 an explosion occurred at Democratic Russia headquarters storing Yeltsin signature documents. The Baltimore Sun called it the first political bombing in the capital for over a decade. A stand holding Ryzhkov campaign material was destroyed at Orenburg's socio-political information centre. Sovetskaya Rossiya blamed the Libertarian Party though they denied involvement in either incident. Campaign law violations continued after election day limits when Zhirinovsky contested results accusing Yeltsin of using office resources.
Tatarstan Supreme Soviet declared non-participation on the 28th of May following weeks of public protests. Turnout in that republic reached only 36.6% due to sovereignty disputes against the federal election. Meanwhile turnout surpassed 60% for the concurrent President of Tatarstan election held same day. Bashkortostan encouraged boycotts through the Movement for a Sovereign Bashkortistan group. This organization formed jointly by the Bashkir People Party and Tatar Democratic Party of Bashkir ASSR. Regional opposition viewed the presidential vote as infringing upon local claims to autonomy. These abstentions created significant disparities in national voter participation across different federal subjects.
Yeltsin won majority votes in first round thus avoiding need for second round runoff. Official results certified on the 19th of June confirmed his decisive victory with 58.6% of total cast ballots. Vasilii Kazakov Chairman of Central Election Commission announced confirmation of the win. Soviet media reported his election success on the 13th of June before final certification. His inauguration took place on the 10th of July making him first popularly elected leader in Russian history. Opinion polls had shown Yeltsin far ahead though some underestimated Zhirinovsky's performance. Three weeks prior polls showed Zhirinovsky at just 0.5% support before rising sharply. The election marked breakthrough democratization despite irregularities that would plague future Russian votes.
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Common questions
When did the 1991 Russian presidential election take place?
The 1991 Russian presidential election took place on the 12th of June 1991. This date was set as a provisional timeline before any official schedule existed and followed a referendum held on the 14th of March 1991 to create the office of president.
Who won the 1991 Russian presidential election and what percentage of votes did they receive?
Boris Yeltsin won the 1991 Russian presidential election with 58.6% of total cast ballots. Official results certified on the 19th of June confirmed his decisive victory which allowed him to avoid a second round runoff.
What were the eligibility requirements for candidates in the 1991 Russian presidential election?
Any citizen between ages 35 and 65 could run for president under rules passed on the 24th of April 1991. Candidates needed either 100,000 voter signatures or support from 25% of Congress members to register for the race.
How many candidates ran in the 1991 Russian presidential election and who were the main contenders?
Nine total contenders entered the race including Boris Yeltsin, Nikolai Ryzhkov, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Albert Makashov, Aman Tuleyev, and Vadim Bakatin. Nikolai Ryzhkov stood as the only official Communist Party nominee among four communist candidates while Yeltsin ran as an independent supported by Democratic Russia.
Why did some regions boycott the 1991 Russian presidential election?
Tatarstan Supreme Soviet declared non-participation on the 28th of May following weeks of public protests regarding sovereignty disputes against the federal election. Bashkortostan encouraged boycotts through the Movement for a Sovereign Bashkortistan group which viewed the presidential vote as infringing upon local claims to autonomy.