Working Group on Elections in Wartime: Why Elections During War Are Impossible.

According to ТСН: Today, the second meeting of the working group that is preparing for elections during and after the war took place. This was announced by the head of the Civil Network "Opora", Olga Aivazovska.

The group has been divided into seven thematic subgroups, and by January 30, each of them must prepare proposals on the following issues:

• administration and infrastructure;
• security criteria for conducting elections;
• rights of servicemen;
• internally displaced persons, occupied and frontline territories;
• voting for citizens abroad;
• information provision and campaigning;
• international obligations in Euro-integration legislation.

At the meeting, it was decided that elections cannot be held during martial law, and combining post-war elections with a referendum is also impractical.

Voting for Citizens Abroad

Aivazovska touched on certain sentiments in society regarding Ukrainians who left the country due to full-scale aggression. In particular, it was mentioned that men who went abroad should be deprived of their voting rights, as they supposedly lost touch with Ukrainian life.

"If voting rights were granted to voters based on their level of suffering under shelling and their contribution to defending the state's and society's interests, then residents of Kherson, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, and Sumy should be given three votes each, while Uzhhorod should get 0.5 because they are not sufficiently affected by the consequences of the war," she noted.

This, in her opinion, could create a risk of social division. She also emphasized that servicemen must be protected in exercising their voting rights, and women with children should not bear responsibility for fleeing from war or irresponsible husbands.

The Threat of Falsification at Polling Stations Abroad

Aivazovska warned that if the state does not ensure voting abroad, it could lead to serious problems. According to her, only four polling stations for over 500,000 voters could be a conscious disregard for their rights.

"The state cannot restrict already existing rights, but inaction and four polling stations for 500,000+ voters will be a conscious inaction. All these voters will be on the lists in Ukraine, and turnout will be counted together with them," explained the head of Opora.

Earlier, President Zelensky stated that he is ready for elections during the war, but under certain conditions.

The issue of ensuring voting for Ukrainians abroad is especially relevant in wartime when millions of our citizens are forced to leave their country. It is important that their rights are ensured, as participation in elections is the final confirmation of democratic principles that must be upheld even in difficult times.

The discussions taking place in society indicate the need for a careful approach to organizing elections and ensuring their transparency to avoid possible falsifications and social tension both inside the country and beyond its borders.