It’s not about timing but about quality. This is how Ukraine’s first post-war elections should be approached, says Olha Ivasiuk, a constitutional law expert at The Centre of Policy and Legal Reform. In a comment for Suspilne, she explained what legislative changes are needed to conduct elections once martial law ends, and outlined how to ensure voting rights for Ukrainians abroad.

To begin with, Ukraine should focus not on fixed dates for the first post-war elections but on ensuring the quality of the electoral process. This means upholding the principles of universal, direct, and equal suffrage through secret ballot, as enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine and aligned with international standards. That is why the necessary legislative changes must be developed and adopted even while martial law remains in effect.

Olha Ivasiuk emphasized that these legislative changes are essential, and civil society is united in its position that the development of this legal framework should begin now. The Centre of Policy and Legal Reform has long urged the authorities to prepare appropriate solutions to ensure a fair and effective electoral process after the war.

Among the key legislative changes, the expert listed:

• Amending the Electoral Code to address the transitional period for preparing for post-war elections
• Developing a legal mechanism to determine whether elections and voting can be held in certain war-affected territories
• Ensuring the voting rights of Ukrainian citizens abroad, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and military personnel

The latter is a remarkably complex issue and may require multiple solutions, such as creating additional polling stations in Ukraine with large concentrations of IDPs.

It is also essential to allow citizens to update their data, particularly their current residence.

Furthermore, the right to vote must also be guaranteed for military personnel who will not be immediately demobilized after the war. One solution could be the creation of special polling stations at their places of deployment.

Olha Ivasiuk also addressed the specifics of voting in foreign electoral districts. Electronic or postal voting is currently unacceptable, and the Centre of Policy and Legal Reform supports the Central Election Commission’s position. One possible way to address the high number of voters abroad is to establish additional polling stations outside diplomatic missions.

The expert emphasized that the duration of implementing legislative changes will depend on the challenges they must address. Therefore, it is not possible to set fixed timelines at this stage.