Abstract The article aims to analyze the features of election periods in Russia, to reveal the connection between the course of election periods and the mechanisms used in the framework of these processes for the democracy development in the state. To identify the connection between the indicators, marking the course and results of election campaigns, and the democracy functioning, the method of logical reasoning was used. The research includes the results of sociological surveys. The author analyzes the revealed tendencies in the election behavior of the citizens of the Russian Federation. Among the results of the study there is the analysis of the turnout figures, their influence on the vote results interpretation and determination of the level of the power legitimacy in the country. The article also reveals the effect of the online mechanisms implementation into the political reality of election campaigns. The use of the concluding is of theoretical significance, and the possibility of using it in the next period of election determines the practical significance of the research.