The Civil Network OPORA has prepared an updated Roadmap for Ensuring Organization of Postwar Elections in Ukraine. The document was revised following consultations with the Central Election Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, members of parliament from various political factions, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, representatives of the National Police, and the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting.
The Roadmap offers solutions and recommendations for the organization and conduct of democratic elections. It focuses on conducting security audits in communities, limiting Russian influence on the electoral process, updating the data in the State Voter Register, and introducing amendments to the Electoral Code. A separate challenge is ensuring both the active and passive electoral rights of Ukrainians abroad and of military personnel.
Since security is a fundamental condition for holding elections, the updated Roadmap includes a dedicated section on the safety of polling stations. Security must be ensured through clear action protocols for all electoral process participants at every stage.
OPORA analyst Anatolii Bondarchuk explains: “There is a risk that the Russians may stage provocations at polling stations. This could cause panic, erode trust, and ultimately lower voter turnout.” That is why it is essential to strengthen the capacity of the National Police to safeguard polling places. The authors of the Roadmap also recommend considering the possibility of involving external actors in securing polling stations abroad.
The timing of the elections remains a subject of political debate. There is currently a political consensus that elections should take place no earlier than six months after martial law is lifted. However, this formulation leaves room for different interpretations of the preparatory period before the start of the electoral process—ranging from 3 to 6 months. OPORA maintains that no less than six months should elapse between the end of martial law and the start of the election process.
“The current Electoral Code provides only a one-month period for scheduling (announcing) post-war elections. It does not take into account the need to restore infrastructure, update the State Voter Register—especially in light of internal and external migration—ensure security, or allow time for awareness-raising campaigns and the organization of voting for millions of Ukrainians abroad and for servicemembers,” explains OPORA legal advisor Pavlo Romaniuk.
OPORA emphasizes that national elections should be held first, followed by local elections. The organization also does not support the simultaneous conduct of presidential and parliamentary elections.
Additionally, OPORA proposes expanding the list of exceptions to the residency requirement for the first post-war elections. This could be done by analogy with the exceptions already provided in the Electoral Code for other categories of citizens. Such exceptions should take into account the legality and involuntary nature of staying abroad. It is also important to define the time frame for citizens’ advance return to Ukraine.
The residency requirement, enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine (Articles 76 and 103), mandates that a person running for the Verkhovna Rada or for the Presidency must have permanently resided in Ukraine for a certain period. For presidential candidates, this term is 10 years; for parliamentary candidates, it is 5 years.
“Currently, the Electoral Code already provides for certain exceptions to the residency requirement—such as official assignments, study, or medical treatment abroad. However, these exceptions were designed for peacetime conditions and do not account for the unprecedented circumstances caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion,” noted OPORA’s legal advisor.
Another key responsibility of the state in post-war elections is to ensure the electoral rights of the military—both their ability to vote under proper conditions and their right to stand for election. According to the authors of the Roadmap, military personnel should be given the opportunity to vote at regular polling stations located near the permanent or temporary deployment sites of military units and formations. In addition, the Roadmap recommends introducing additional safeguards to guarantee the exercise of passive voting rights for servicemembers.
Moreover, for servicemembers and Ukrainians abroad, OPORA proposes introducing extended voting—either by lengthening the voting day (for example, until 10:00 p.m.) or by allowing voting over the course of several days.
To limit Russian influence on Ukrainian elections, the updated Roadmap proposes strengthening oversight of campaign financing, introducing measures for political lustration, and conducting large-scale media literacy campaigns—particularly targeting Ukrainians living abroad.
Among other recommendations is the introduction of a mechanism requiring candidates to declare that they have not cooperated with the Russian Federation and have not been members of banned political parties. This information should be made public in their biographies, on ballots, and elsewhere. Liability may be introduced for concealing such information.
To enhance the transparency of political financing, OPORA proposes amending legislation to resolve the issue of overlapping oversight powers between the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) and election commissions.
It is also essential to conduct a broad public awareness campaign on how to change one’s voting location or electoral address. This will help ensure that all individuals who have relocated within Ukraine or abroad—particularly due to Russia’s full-scale invasion—are able to exercise their active voting rights by casting their ballots at polling stations.
ROADMAP FOR ENSURING ORGANIZATION OF POSTWAR ELECTIONS IN UKRAINE