Voters cast their ballots at a polling station during the Parliamentary elections in Krymsk, Krasnodar region, Russia, Sunday. The election is widely seen as an important part of President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to cement his grip on power ahead of the 2024 presidential polls, in which control of the State Duma, or parliament, will be key. (AP photo)

MOSCOW — Russia’s ruling party retained its supermajority in parliament, further cementing President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power following elections that excluded most opposition politicians and were marred by multiple reports of violations.

The vote was watched closely for signs that Putin’s control might slip, however slightly, ahead of the 2024 presidential election. It’s not yet clear whether he will run again, choose a successor or outline a different path  but he is expected to keep his hand on the tiller whatever he decides, and an obedient State Duma, or parliament, will crucial to those plans.

Results released Monday from nearly 99% of the country’s polling stations gave the ruling United Russia party 49.8% of the vote for the 225 seats apportioned by parties, according to the Central Election Commission. Another 225 lawmakers are chosen directly by voters, and the results showed United Russia candidates leading in 198 of those races.

Ella Pamfilova, the head of the commission, confirmed that United Russia has retained the so-called constitutional majority in the parliament, or at least two-thirds of the 450 seats required for a party to make changes to the country’s constitution.

In fact, the results indicated there would be almost no opposition voices in the Duma at all, with three other parties that usually toe the Kremlin line set to take many of the remaining seats, along with the New People party, which was formed last year and is regarded by many as a Kremlin-sponsored project.

According to Pamfilova, candidates from three other parties each won a seat, so in all eight political parties will be represented in the Duma. Voter turnout stood at 51%, she said.

The Communist Party received 19% of the party-list vote, a sizable improvement from the 13% it got in the 2016 election. United Russia got about 54% five years ago, so the results indicate some falloff in support.

But concerns that the results had been manipulated mounted Monday, with many decrying that a breakdown of the online voting in Moscow was still not available to the public. The results in the other six regions that were allowed to vote online have been detailed. In Moscow, approval of the ruling party has always been particularly low and protest voting has been widespread. Candidates from the Communist Party called for demonstrations later in the day.