CEC says elections after war will take at least six months

A polling station in Ukraine, photo: ukrinform.ua

The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Ukraine said that after the end of martial law in Ukraine, elections will take place, but it will take time to restore infrastructure and adapt the electoral process.

This was announced by Deputy Chairman of the CEC Serhii Dubovyk, Suspilne reports.

According to him, the elections will be held in a timely manner after the cancellation of martial law. At the same time, it is necessary to prepare not only the infrastructure, but also to completely reformat the electoral process and adjust it to post-war realities. It is necessary to make changes to the electoral system, in particular:

• Update the rules for voting abroad, as there are now many more Ukrainians abroad;
• Review the process of voting in military units, as the army will be gradually downsized and many soldiers will remain on duty during the elections;
• Simplify electoral procedures, particularly in terms of technology and the formation of election commissions.

«Legislative changes are needed. It would be worth working on them now, without waiting for the end of martial law. This also applies to the procedure for the establishment of foreign polling stations, in this case, additional ones not only in the post-war elections,» said Serhii Dubovyk.

It is noted that the CEC is already submitting its proposals to the authorities and MPs so that they can prepare the relevant draft laws.

According to Serhii Dubovyk, it is difficult to name a specific date for the elections, but the approximate timeframe for all the necessary changes is at least six months.

It is worth reminding that the vast majority of Ukrainians oppose holding elections in the event of a temporary ceasefire and support them only after the war is completely over.

In general, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that elections in Ukraine are very important, but they can be held only after the hot phase of the war is over and martial law is lifted.

At the same time, Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed to organise elections after a full ceasefire is reached. According to preliminary data, they could be held as early as July 2025.