By mail, in "action", with ballots in the trenches: how can the presidential election during the war

Ukraine can hold a presidential election in the spring of next year. But experts believe that it is technically difficult to organize such a campaign during the war: at least to ensure the safety and right of every citizen - both in the rear and in the trenches - to vote and nomination. People's Deputy Alexei Goncharenko told the TV channel "Espresso" that, according to him, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy allegedly decided to hold an election next year.

The politician said the process was scheduled for March 31, 2024. The reason is that during this period the constitutional term of office of the current head of state ends. The information was not officially commented. However, Volodymyr Zelensky allowed the organization of voting during the war, provided that the issue of safety at polling stations, as well as making appropriate changes to the legislation.

Russia is likely to try to organize shelling on the "day of X", and in many schools where they usually conduct voting, especially in the frontline territories, there are not enough shelters even for students. In a comment to the focus, the People's Deputy Alexei Goncharenko confirmed his statements about the preparation of the presidential election. "Indeed, as I said, [President of Ukraine Vladimir] Zelensky decided to hold an election on March 31, 2024.

How to organize this process from a security point of view is absolutely unclear. More precisely in Lviv, Kyiv is clear. Front or to the borders of the Russian Federation - Kharkiv, Zaporozhye, Kherson - no, "said Focus a politician. According to Goncharenko, the Constitution does not forbid the presidential elections during the war, unlike parliamentary. In order to start the process, it is enough for MPs to pass a separate law on the peculiarities of the presidential election during martial law.

"With the majority in the Verkhovna Rada, it will not be difficult," the politician said. According to the Chairman of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine Alexei Koshel, there are several key risks related to the election during the war. The first and most important is safety. Russia is likely to try to organize shelling on the "day of X", and in many schools where they usually conduct voting, especially in the frontline territories, there are not enough shelters even for students.

Other risks - with the organization of elections in temporarily occupied territories and participation in the voting of internally displaced persons. And also - with free access to the media. "We will have questions with access to the media, the use of dubious information sources, which are anonymous Telegram channels, agitation, as well as with the inability to update the State Voter Register. I want to remind you that it was the most accurate database in Ukraine.

Base, but in four months we will not receive a quality state register. And the confusion will be worse than in the 90s, when they voted "Dead Souls. However, if the authorities decide to vote, there are several problems related to the election. One of which is the exercise of the right of servicemen to vote and nomination. The military will not be able to fully exercise not only the right to choose, but also to be elected. It is virtually impossible to campaign from trenches.

In August, reflecting on the possible vote, President Zelensky suggested that Western partners send observers to the forefront to "risk together". At the same time, the head of state noted that no one has yet shown him how to organize elections for servicemen on the front line. Koshel says that international partners will not send observers to trenches, as this is due to high risks. Including the military themselves.

"I saw the OSCE and other international structures in joint countries: yes, this is an increased level of safety, armored cars. But neither volunteers nor international organizations - no one will go with ballots or study in trenches. Front "is nonsense. Those who are on the front line, in the trenches, the gray zone-voting for them is associated with enormous risks. Therefore, it is necessary to say honestly: 60-80% of the military in the rear parts will be able to vote.

Those who are on the line The front will be deprived of this opportunity, " - says Koshel. At the same time, Ukrainian defenders can be a target for politicians who seek to increase the rating in the process of election campaign. Everyone wants to do this, according to the expert, since the level of trust in the Armed Forces in Ukraine, according to the results of social survey - 93%.

At the same time, the military themselves will not be able to fully exercise not only the right to choose, but also to be elected. It is virtually impossible to campaign from trenches. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than 8 million Ukrainians live abroad since the Great War. In order for them to be able to participate in the vote, it is necessary to increase the number of polling stations at the territory of consulates and embassies of Ukraine at least.

As the recent CIPS (Kyiv International Institute of Sociology) showed, 65% of respondents perceive elections through the Internet negatively because they are experiencing because of the risk of falsification. The most successful way to organize voting of Ukrainians living abroad, according to Koshel, is mail. Most EU countries resort to this method.

Voting can be organized in various formats, in particular in which voters are printed on their own, packed in a transparent and then paper envelope and sent to votes. The results of the results may be related to the work of the mail - some letters may be lost or come later, however, according to the expert, it is low. However, the authorities should already start testing the system to identify and eliminate the weaknesses.

As for electronic voting with the help of "Action" application, cybersecurity expert Alexander Korsun believes that the risks of gross frauds can be violated three key principles of fair democratic elections: the mystery of voting, the lack of coercion, the possibility of recalculating votes. According to Koshel, in addition to technical risks, there is a serious problem with the trust of Ukrainians in the results of electronic voting.

According to the recent CIPS (Kyiv International Institute of Sociology), 65% of respondents perceive elections through the Internet negatively because they are concerned about the risk of falsification. Similar results were 2021. At that time, 66% of respondents noted that they were negative about the elections. There is no problem if the Academician Vernadsky station votes through "action" or sailors while swimming-any small group.

But not the election with the participation of all Ukrainian citizens of Ukraine's distrust of electronic voting is connected with a careful position on the transparency of the election, formed by years due to mass violations. "There was a story with the CEC transit server [2004 elections-focus], which remains alive in memory. There were examples when politicians came out and said-we won, but we had stolen victory.

These speculations did not confirm no exit poll , not copies of wet seals, but this has formed distrust of the election institute itself. And even more so to the electronic format, "the expert notes. It is known that on the eve of a full -scale invasion, the government sites of Ukraine were cyberattak from the Russian Federation. If this happens during the presidential election, citizens will have doubts about the honesty of the results.

"We have to conduct experiments, this is a matter of the future. There is no problem if the Academician Vernadsky station votes through" action "or sailors during swimming-any few group. But not elections with the participation of all citizens of Ukraine,"-adds the chairman of the Committee of Ukraine . We will remind, according to Ruslan Stefanchuk, the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine needs elections, but the legislation has "certain inconsistencies" in this regard.