This paper argues that electoral manipulation through candidate filtering offers incumbents a strategic advantage. It demonstrates this by comparing voter responses and analyzing election outcomes.

* Survey Experiments: Findings show Russian voters are less negative toward institutional tactics like ballot rejection than overt fraud.

* Data & Methods: Using evidence from 25,935 mayoral races reveals that filtering helps incumbents avoid public backlash and legal risks while reducing electoral vulnerability for the same cost as other tactics. This tactic proves effective because it balances political control with manageability.