In the article, the author analyzes the perspectives of electoral studies within the framework of different versions of the institutional approach. Constructivist institutionalism assumes the institution of election not as the rules of the game that shape human interaction, but as more or less stable political practices. Such an approach allows extending the field of electoral studies. It focuses on such issues as what election means for candidates, parties, and voters in their interactions; to what extent election is institutionalized. The author briefly reviews the electoral practices in post-Soviet Russia and outlines the directions for further research.