Team Navalny is opening a series of regional offices in districts where the ruling United Russia Party has weak candidates to promote its “smart voting” tactics in September’s Duma elections, it was reported on March 9.

The informal organisation of jailed anti-corruption activist and opposition politician Alexei Navalny and run by Leonid Volkov from self-imposed exile in the Baltics is beefing up its regional representation.

Navalny came up with the smart voting tactics where the anti-government organisation lobbies voters to support any candidate, irrespective of which party they represent, that is most likely to beat the United Russia candidate.

As bne IntelliNews reported, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) has been one of the big winners of this tactic and that has caused tension within the systemic opposition – parties other than United Russia that have deputies in the Duma, but generally support the Kremlin – as younger members of these organisations want to play a genuine opposition political role.

“New vacancies and new headquarters. Before the elections to the State Duma, we are launching the largest expansion of our regional network since 2017. Come to work with us!” Volkov, Navalny’s campaign manager, tweeted.

The Navalny team will open a string of new regional offices ahead of September Duma elections that are focused on mid-sized cities, where they say their chances at unseating United Russia deputies are highest, including Ulyanovsk, Ulan Ude and Astrakhan, according to Moscow Times reporter Felix Light.