Rostov voters noted the absence of queues at polling stations on the second day of voting.

In the Rostov region, voters do not perceive elections as a platform for protest, as dissent can be expressed in other ways. On Saturday, there was no excitement at the polling stations, no queues, people went to vote one by one or in small groups, local residents reported.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on September 18, on the first day of voting, residents of the Rostov region talked about mass voting by budget employees at polling stations in Rostov-on-Don and electoral apathy, and expressed distrust in the possibility of protest voting.

A resident of Rostov-on-Don, mechanic Dmitry noted that for him, elections are not a way to express protest, and among his close ones, such motivation is hardly discussed.

"People are more likely to go vote because they consider it their duty or just want to participate. If someone is dissatisfied with what is happening, they can certainly perceive their vote as a way to show this, but for me personally, elections and protest are somewhat different things," he told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

Dmitry came to the polling station this morning since he was on shift on Friday. According to him, there were a few people at the polling station, there was no queue, most came alone, although there were also family pairs. Voting took about ten minutes, and he did not see any noticeable difference compared to previous elections. He mainly discussed with relatives and friends which of the three days was more convenient to vote.

The opportunity to express dissatisfaction through voting remains, believes accountant from Bataisk Tatyana Semyonovna. According to her, attitudes towards this among her acquaintances vary: some consider voting a way to influence the situation, while others do not associate it with protest.

"It seems to me that some people really use elections to express dissatisfaction. It is not necessarily articulated aloud as 'I am going to protest', but a person may come precisely to show their attitude towards what is happening," she told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

According to Tatyana Semyonovna, she came to the polling station closer to noon. At first, there were not many people, then the flow noticeably increased, but no queues formed. Voters came alone, in small groups of two or three people, and with relatives. Outside, they mainly discussed the convenience of voting on Saturday, and in Tatyana's family, everyone chose their own day to visit the polling station.

Elections should be perceived as participation in political life, not as a form of protest, believes builder from Novocherkassk Igor. According to him, dissent can be expressed in other ways, while some people come to polling stations out of a sense of civic duty, and others see no point in voting.

"I do not perceive elections as a form of protest at all. If a person wants to express dissent, they can do it in other ways, while elections for me are primarily participation in political life," he told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

Igor explained that he intends to vote on September 20, as he is used to going to elections on the main day. He called the three-day voting convenient, although not entirely understandable. According to him, his relatives also plan to come to the polling stations on Sunday, while in the family, they only discussed the time of voting, but not the choice of candidates or parties.

Voting has become perceived more calmly and practically, and discussions about it as a form of protest have decreased, noted pharmacist from Taganrog Svetlana. According to her, some of her acquaintances come to polling stations because they consider participation important, others vote out of habit, and others are not interested in elections.

"I was at the polling station today in the afternoon. There were enough people, but I did not see any excitement. Most came alone or in pairs, the queue moved quickly. I noticed that people tried not to linger. They came, voted, and left," she told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

According to Svetlana, people near the polling station mainly discussed everyday topics and the possibility of spreading voting over three days. Svetlana noted that the atmosphere during the previous elections was about the same.

The motives for participating in elections are individual, noted graphic designer from Rostov-on-Don Artem. He explained that he does not perceive voting as protest, but admits that dissatisfaction with what is happening may become such motivation for other people. The Rostov resident noted that the fact of participating in elections is more important to him than refusing to vote.

According to Artem, he came to the polling station in the morning, around its opening, so as not to postpone voting until the last day. There were a few people there, there was no queue, people came in small groups, including with spouses and parents. The voting itself took little time. In the family, they discussed which day was more convenient to come to the polling station considering weekend plans, but did not talk about who they would vote for.

Participation in elections has become a routine procedure, which should not be associated with any one motive, believes agronomist from Shakhty Valentina. According to her, in her circle, some follow politics, others are hardly interested in it, but still consider participation in voting correct.

"If we talk about my circle, I do not see that people perceive elections as a form of protest. Rather, it is already a routine procedure: if there is an opportunity, a person goes and votes," she told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

Valentina decided to come to the polling station on September 20, the last day of voting.

By 15:00 Moscow time on September 19, voter turnout in the elections for the State Duma deputies in the Rostov region reached almost 45%, reported the regional election commission.

The increase in turnout in the first half of Saturday was linked by political scientist Evgeny Smirnov to the voting of workers in continuous production.

"The increase in turnout of almost 10% in the first half of Saturday indicates that workers in continuous production and that part of voters for whom Saturday morning is traditionally convenient for solving everyday and civic matters joined the budget employees and employees of large enterprises who voted on the first day," he told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

Recall that on September 17, residents of the Rostov region named the main irritants ahead of the elections as drone strikes, gasoline shortages, rising prices, and internet restrictions. Political scientist Dmitry Abrosimov then linked the protest potential in the region to accumulated socio-economic problems and electoral apathy, while activist Darya Lunina pointed to the weakening of independent monitoring and the formal nature of the election campaign.