| Country: | Russian Federation |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1999 Russian legislative election |
| Previous Year: | 1999 |
| Election Date: | 7 December 2003 |
| Next Election: | 2007 Russian legislative election |
| Next Year: | 2007 |
| Seats For Election: | All 450 seats in the State Duma |
| Majority Seats: | 226 |
| Turnout: | 55.75% (6.10 pp) |
| Leader1: | Boris Gryzlov |
| Party1: | United Russia |
| Leader Since1: | 20 November 2002 |
| Leaders Seat1: | Federal list |
| Last Election1: | New |
| Seats1: | 223 |
| Seat Change1: | New |
| Popular Vote1: | 22,776,294 |
| Percentage1: | 37.56% (PL) |
| Swing1: | New |
| Leader2: | Gennady Zyuganov |
| Party2: | Communist Party of the Russian Federation |
| Leader Since2: | 14 February 1993 |
| Leaders Seat2: | Federal list |
| Last Election2: | 113 seats, 24.29% |
| Seats2: | 52 |
| Seat Change2: | 61 |
| Popular Vote2: | 7,647,820 |
| Percentage2: | 12.61% (PL) |
| Swing2: | 11.68% |
| Leader3: | Sergey Glazyev |
| Party3: | National Patriotic Union "Rodina" |
| Leader Since3: | 14 September 2003 |
| Leaders Seat3: | Podolsk |
| Last Election3: | New |
| Seats3: | 37 |
| Seat Change3: | New |
| Popular Vote3: | 5,470,429 |
| Percentage3: | 9.02% (PL) |
| Swing3: | New |
| Party4: | Liberal Democratic Party of Russia |
| Leader Since4: | 13 December 1989 |
| Leaders Seat4: | Federal list |
| Last Election4: | 17 seats, 5.20% |
| Seats4: | 36 |
| Seat Change4: | 19 |
| Popular Vote4: | 6,944,322 |
| Percentage4: | 11.35% (PL) |
| Swing4: | 6.15% |
| Leader5: | Gennady Raikov |
| Party5: | People's Party of the Russian Federation |
| Leader Since5: | 29 September 2001 |
| Leaders Seat5: | Tyumen |
| Last Election5: | New |
| Seats5: | 17 |
| Seat Change5: | New |
| Popular Vote5: | 714,705 |
| Percentage5: | 1.18% (PL) |
| Swing5: | New |
| Leader6: | Grigory Yavlinsky |
| Party6: | Yabloko |
| Leader Since6: | 16 October 1993 |
| Leaders Seat6: | Federal list (lost) |
| Last Election6: | 20 seats, 5.93% |
| Seats6: | 4 |
| Seat Change6: | 16 |
| Popular Vote6: | 2,610,087 |
| Percentage6: | 4.30% (PL) |
| Swing6: | 1.63% |
| Leader7: | Boris Nemtsov |
| Party7: | Union of Right Forces |
| Leader Since7: | 27 May 2001 |
| Leaders Seat7: | Federal list (lost) |
| Last Election7: | 29 seats, 8.52% |
| Seats7: | 3 |
| Seat Change7: | 26 |
| Popular Vote7: | 2,408,535 |
| Percentage7: | 3.97% (PL) |
| Swing7: | 4.55% |
| Leader8: | Gennadiy Seleznyov |
| Party8: | PVR–RPZh |
| Leader Since8: | 7 September 2002 |
| Leaders Seat8: | Northern SPB |
| Last Election8: | New |
| Seats8: | 3 |
| Seat Change8: | New |
| Popular Vote8: | 1,140,413 |
| Percentage8: | 1.88% (PL) |
| Swing8: | New |
| Leader9: | Mikhail Lapshin |
| Party9: | Agrarian Party of Russia |
| Leader Since9: | 26 February 1993 |
| Leaders Seat9: | Federal list (lost) |
| Last Election9: | 11 seats (inside OVR) |
| Seats9: | 2 |
| Seat Change9: | 9 |
| Popular Vote9: | 2,205,850 |
| Percentage9: | 3.64% (PL) |
| Swing9: | – |
| Chairman of the State Duma | |
| Before Election: | Gennadiy Seleznyov |
| Before Party: | Party of Russia's Rebirth |
| After Election: | Boris Gryzlov |
| After Party: | United Russia |
Legislative elections were held in Russia on 7December 2003.[1] At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma (Gosudarstvennaya Duma), the lower house of the Federal Assembly.
As expected, the pro-Vladimir Putin United Russia party received the most votes (38%) and won the most seats, gaining an absolute majority in the Duma. The Communist Party remained the second largest, though much reduced in strength. The Liberal Democratic Party improved its position by 19 seats, while the liberal Yabloko and the liberal-conservative Union of Right Forces lost most of their seats.
The 2003 election is cited by scholars as a turning point in Russian politics, as it marked the moment the federal parliament effectively became a rubber stamp body.[2] [3] [4]