Why Ukraine cannot hold elections during the war - Election officials explain
Illustrative photo: Central Election Commission explains whether elections can be held under martial law (Getty Images)
Holding presidential or parliamentary elections in Ukraine during martial law is currently impossible without changes to legislation, Sergii Dubovyk, Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine, stated in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.
According to him, the current legal framework does not allow for organizing elections during martial law. Moreover, the issue goes beyond electoral legislation and concerns the entire legal system of the state.
“Without changing the existing legislation, we cannot talk about elections at all right now. We cannot simply lift martial law only for elections,” Dubovyk emphasized.
He explained that many laws and government decisions include provisions explicitly tied to the end of martial law—such as wording like “three or six months after its termination.” As a result, isolated amendments could lead to the collapse of the entire regulatory and legal system.
Separately, the Deputy Head of the CEC highlighted mobilization and security issues, which are also directly linked to the martial law regime and would require clear legislative regulation if approaches to elections were to change.
Dubovyk also recalled that Ukraine’s Constitution explicitly prohibits parliamentary elections during wartime, while the broader issue of elections lies within the political sphere.
“The Central Election Commission is the organizer of elections. We will implement whatever decisions the Verkhovna Rada adopts and the president signs,” he concluded.
Elections in Ukraine: what's known
US President Donald Trump made a sharp statement about Ukraine, claiming that the country had allegedly lost its democratic status due to the absence of elections. In doing so, he effectively repeated Russian narratives portraying the war as a reason to postpone voting.
At the same time, holding presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine under martial law is currently practically impossible due to constant shelling and high security risks. For the same reason, the regular local elections scheduled for October 26 were also not held.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly emphasized that the state is technically ready to organize elections, but that voting is possible only after a ceasefire or with real security guarantees. According to him, under such conditions, the election process could be organized within 60–90 days.
At the same time, Zelenskyy expects initiatives from the Verkhovna Rada regarding legislative changes, since the Constitution directly prohibits elections during martial law.
Meanwhile, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin stated that he would consider providing security guarantees during a possible vote, while putting forward conditions regarding the participation of residents of Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.
