2021 Penza Oblast gubernatorial election explained

Election Name:2021 Penza Oblast gubernatorial election
Country:Penza Oblast
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2020 Penza Oblast gubernatorial election
Previous Year:2020
Next Election:2026 Penza Oblast gubernatorial election
Next Year:2026
Election Date:17–19 September 2021
Turnout:56.96%
Candidate1:Oleg Melnichenko
Party1:United Russia
Popular Vote1:428,868
Percentage1:72.38%
Candidate2:Oleg Shalyapin
Party2:Communist Party of the Russian Federation
Popular Vote2:73,153
Percentage2:12.35%
Image4: SR-ZP
Candidate4:Aleksey Shpagin
Party4:SR-ZP
Popular Vote4:33,714
Percentage4:5.69%
Image5: LDPR
Candidate5:Aleksandr Vasilyev
Party5:Liberal Democratic Party of Russia
Popular Vote5:33,593
Percentage5:5.67%
Map Size:250px
Governor
Before Election:Oleg Melnichenko
Before Party:United Russia
After Party:United Russia
After Election:Oleg Melnichenko

The 2021 Penza Oblast gubernatorial election took place on 17–19 September 2021, on common election day, coinciding with election to the State Duma. Acting Governor Oleg Melnichenko was elected for his first term.[1]

Background

Governor Ivan Belozertsev in 2020 won re-election to his second term with 78.72% of the vote.[2] On 21 March 2021, less than a year after the election, Governor Belozertsev was arrested, he was charged with accepting a ₽31 million ($0.4 million) bribe from former Senator from Penza Oblast (2003-2013) and pharmaceutical executive Boris Shpigel.[3] Simultaneously, Investigative Committee announced that they had found facts of electoral fraud during 2020 gubernatorial election.[4] On 26 March President Vladimir Putin fired Belozertsev for the "loss of trust" and appointed Senator Oleg Melnichenko as acting Governor of Penza Oblast.[5] Melnichenko previously served in the Government of Penza Oblast in 2007-2009 as Minister of Education and Science, Vice Governor and Deputy Head of Government, and as Deputy Presidential Envoy to the Volga Federal District (2013-2017).[6]

Candidates

Only political parties can nominate candidates for gubernatorial election in Penza Oblast, self-nomination is not possible. However, candidate is not obliged to be a member of the nominating party. Candidate for Governor of Penza Oblast should be a Russian citizen and at least 30 years old. Candidates for Governor should not have a foreign citizenship or residence permit. Each candidate in order to be registered is required to collect at least 253 signatures of members and heads of municipalities.[7] Also gubernatorial candidates present 3 candidacies to the Federation Council and election winner later appoints one of the presented candidates.

Registered candidates

Withdrawn candidates

Lost nomination

Candidates for the Federation Council

Results

|- style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;"! style="text-align:left;" colspan=2| Candidate! style="text-align:left;"| Party! width="75"|Votes! width="30"|%|-| style="background-color:;"|| style="text-align:left;"| Oleg Melnichenko (incumbent)| style="text-align:left;"| United Russia| 428,868| 72.38|-| style="background-color:;"|| style="text-align:left;"| Oleg Shalyapin| style="text-align:left;"| Communist Party| 73,153| 12.35|-| style="background-color:;"|| style="text-align:left;"| Aleksey Shpagin| style="text-align:left;"| A Just Russia — For Truth| 33,714| 5.69|-| style="background-color:;"|| style="text-align:left;"| Aleksandr Vasilyev| style="text-align:left;"| Liberal Democratic Party| 33,593| 5.67|-| style="background-color:|| style="text-align:left;"| Pyotr Chugay| style="text-align:left;"| Party of Pensioners| 13,650| 2.30|-| style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Valid votes| 582,978| 98.39|-| style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Blank ballots| 9,540| 1.61|- style="font-weight:bold"| style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Total| 592,518| 100.00|-| style="background-color:#E9E9E9;" colspan="6"||-| style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Turnout| 592,518| 56.96|-| style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"| Registered voters| 1,040,202| 100.00|-| colspan="5" style="background-color:#E9E9E9;"||- style="font-weight:bold"| colspan="4" |Source:|[11] |}

Incumbent Senator Maria Lvova-Belova (United Russia) was re-appointed to the Federation Council.[12]

Notes and References

  1. https://penzanews.ru/politics/149917-2021 Утверждены результаты досрочных выборов губернатора Пензенской области
  2. https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/5f5eeb8c9a79479f4afd89fb Иван Белозерцев победил на выборах главы Пензенской области
  3. https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4740284 Губернатора Пензенской области задержали за взятку 31 млн рублей
  4. https://www.rbc.ru/politics/22/03/2021/60587b509a794765c173ed20 СК сообщил о фальсификациях на пензенских выборах с участием Белозерцева
  5. https://tass.ru/politika/11007601 Путин назначил сенатора Олега Мельниченко врио губернатора Пензенской области
  6. https://tass.ru/info/11007731 Биография Олега Мельниченко
  7. https://penzanews.ru/politics/148495-2021 Кандидатам в губернаторы Пензенской области нужно собрать минимум 253 подписи депутатов
  8. http://www.penza.vybory.izbirkom.ru/region/region/penza?action=show&root=1&tvd=25820001077942&vrn=25820001077938&region=58&global=&sub_region=58&prver=0&pronetvd=null&vibid=25820001077938&type=221 Сведения о кандидатах
  9. https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4900422 Кандидата подвела агентура
  10. https://tass.ru/politika/11641953 Врио главы Пензенской области Мельниченко выдвинули кандидатом на выборы губернатора
  11. http://www.penza.vybory.izbirkom.ru/region/region/penza?action=show&root=1&tvd=25820001077942&vrn=25820001077938&region=58&global=&sub_region=58&prver=0&pronetvd=null&vibid=25820001077942&type=222 Результаты досрочных выборов Губернатора Пензенской области, 2021
  12. https://www.kommersant.ru/amp/5007537 Мария Львова-Белова назначена сенатором от Пензенской области