The pre-election struggle of candidates for State Duma deputies is outwardly calm in Kalmykia, but the republican authorities have used administrative resources to guarantee the victory of one of the parties, local politicians suggested. In the electoral commission of Kalmykia, only one candidate filed complaints, however his complaints were recognised as unfounded, the commission said.

On September 11 it was publicised that the Kalmykia electioral commission refused to recognise the propaganda video criticising the authorities. Residents of Kalmykia and activists recorded a video criticising the situation in the republic and Russia. The video starred the candidate for the State Duma from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Sanal Ubushiev. The candidate from the "Russian Party of Freedom and Justice" Vladimir Bambaev appealed to the republican electoral commission with a demand to recognise the video as agitation, but he was refused.

The Election Commission of Kalmykia refused to register all four self-nominated candidates but registered all candidates nominated by the parties. Ten candidates for State Duma deputies successfully passed the registration procedure: Peter Vyshkvarok (LDPR), Vladimir Bambaev (Russian Party of Freedom and Justice), Sanal Bovaev (Party of Pensioners for Social Justice), Natalia Manzhikova (Fair Russia), Sanal Ubushiev (Communist Party of the Russian Federation), Andrey Chidzhiev (New People), Tseren Ochir-Goryaev (Motherland), Badma Bashankaev (United Russia), Elena Kotenova (Yabloko), Khongor Marilov (Civil Platform), reported the election commission of the republic on its website on August 11.