Technology Miraj Islam September 23, 2026 0 Comments

The official Russian state photo shows Vladimir Putin voting online using an unlicensed version of Windows 10, and to make matters worse, he’s on an American Dell computer.

A press call from Vladimir Putin showed the Russian president voting online for the country’s parliamentary elections.
The short clip has revealed that Putin is not only using a US-made Dell PC, but that it is running Windows 10, and the license has not been activated.
Putin’s example of voting online is intended to encourage voters to participate, but instead it has raised eyebrows and launched memes.

On Friday, September 18, 2026, parliamentary elections were held in Russia and for the first time online voting for State Duma seats was opened to the public. To demonstrate the ease of online voting, a press call highlighted that Russian President Vladimir Putin cast his vote, but this did not go as planned.

While the president seemed to have difficulty reading the screen, the real challenge appears to be that the Russian leader is using a version of Windows 10 that has not been activated. Also, the PC is a Dell system, not a system built in Russia.

Putin’s publicity stunt has already generated memes, but it also raises questions about his ability to use a computer, not to mention the suitability of the hardware for voting.

“You can’t go wrong”

With President Putin, 73, lined up in front of the cameras with the Dell computer installed on his desk, he goes through the motions of “voting online,” presumably to demonstrate how easy it is. (In-person and mail-in voting options were also available.)

The press call has all the authenticity of an unlicensed copy of Windows 10. Ironically, this is exactly what is in use, as you can see towards the end of the video.

Watch until the end:

Putin VOTES ONLINE and CAUSES A MEME STORM: THE VIRAL MOMENT OF THE ELECTIONS – YouTube

Look

Although an initial reaction might be “Russian state IT is quite weak,” it seems more likely that the state-controlled hardware that oversees infrastructure, networks, and military systems is much more up-to-date. Most likely, that PC was brought out of a back room and an old copy of Windows quickly installed simply to give President Putin his brief encouragement to vote.

Dell vs. Aquarius

However, using a Dell PC is curious. While Russia and the United States have cordial relations, it seems strange that the Russian president uses a foreign PC. Sanctions aside, Russia has a policy of enforcing the use of local brands (such as Aquarius) over those from abroad.

After voting, the five-time elected Russian leader uttered the memorable phrase “you can’t go wrong” in his native language, perhaps highlighting the futility of voting for any candidate who does not belong to his favorite party, United Russia.

While it is difficult to assess the legitimacy of the elections in Russia itself, the governments of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom have questioned the elections in the occupied territories of Ukraine. Nations have described them as “false elections” that violate “the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine and the UN Charter.”