Ukraine weighs online voting for post-war elections - Politico

Politico notes that holding free and fair elections will be crucial for stabilizing the war-torn country, particularly in its bid to join the European Union.

Olena Shuliak, chair of the Organization of State Power Committee in the Ukrainian parliament, confirmed the government's consideration of electoral models in a comment to the publication.

"We need to understand how we can democratically hold elections using the best and most effective practices," she said.

Shuliak emphasized that Ukraine is currently facing a major problem with voters, as many people have fled abroad.

"According to various estimates, 6.5 million are internally displaced alone," she noted.

Politico reports that even after the war, one of the country's main challenges will be ensuring voting access for citizens scattered worldwide, including in territories occupied by Russia.

“Where they are now, where they will vote — all these things need to be resolved,” Shuliak added.

She continued, stating that Ukrainian officials are studying various European electoral models to adopt a system that would allow for free and fair elections after the war.

"We’re interested in the nuances of electronic voting and the technical assessment of other alternative voting options, also from the perspective of IT security," she said.

Shuliak also informed that lawmakers are considering postal voting, in-person voting abroad on election day, proxy voting, and online voting.

As a reminder, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine, political scientist Volodymyr Fesenko stated that elections in Ukraine will take place no earlier than six months after Ukraine and Russia agree on a ceasefire.

He also mentioned that Russia currently has a military advantage. Therefore, in the expert's view, Russian President Vladimir Putin is not interested in negotiations for a ceasefire.