NEW YORK, September 21. /TASS/. More than 600 Russian nationals visited polling stations at the consulates general in New York and Houston, Texas, to cast their ballots in the Duma election, diplomats told TASS.

As many as 546 people took part in the vote in New York, Russian Consul General Alexey Markov said. And in Houston, 101 people cast their ballots, TASS was told.

The two polling stations closed at 8:00 p.m. local time (12:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. GMT).

The single voting day to elect lawmakers to the 9th Russian State Duma took place on September 18-20. For the first time ever, residents of the recently incorporated Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, participated in legislative elections for the lower house of the Russian parliament. A total of ten parties were running in the election, namely the United Russia, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), the Liberal Democratic Party of the Russian Federation (LDPR), New People, A Just Russia - Patriots - For Truth, the Party of Pensioners for Social Justice, the Communists of Russia, Rodina, the Party of Direct Democracy, as well as the Greens Russian Ecological Party.

Elections for regional legislative bodies were also held in 39 Russian constituent entities, alongside elections for regional leaders. In eight regions, the leaders were elected directly, while in three regions, they were chosen by the regional parliaments. A total of 23,000 seats will be filled.