Kazakhstanis (citizens of the Central Asian former Soviet republic) voted on 23 August to elect 145 deputies to the new unicameral Kurultaï parliament, a body created after a March 2026 constitutional referendum that abolished the Senate and expanded presidential powers. President Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev's party is expected to secure between 125 and 130 seats, with analysts noting the result was effectively a foregone conclusion given the near-absence of credible opposition and a broadly disengaged electorate. The vote consolidates a steady authoritarian drift that accelerated after deadly social unrest in January 2022, while Kazakhstan simultaneously pursues a balancing act between Russia, China, and Western partners — positioning itself as a key trade corridor between Europe and Asia.