A foreign agent cannot participate in elections in any way. That is explicitly written into the law. So, as of today, the sociologists at the Levada Center (an independent Russian polling organization) are foreign agents.
Their latest poll showed a drop in support for United Russia (our data confirms this): 31% of respondents, and 50% among those who plan to vote and have made up their minds.
Undecided voters tend not to vote for the ruling party, so that 50% looks very problematic for United Russia.
Now, after the Justice Ministry’s decision right before the elections (pure coincidence!), there are every possible grounds not to publish Levada’s poll results, or to ban their publication, or to publish them only with the added note: “according to information from a sociological center designated as a foreign agent.”
Free and fair elections, sure.