Zelensky says Ukraine could consider online elections during the war

In brief

• Zelensky said Ukraine may consider online elections during the war, but parliament would need to adopt the relevant decisions first.
• He argued that soldiers in the trenches must be able to vote, calling an election without them unjust.
• No timetable or legislative draft has been announced.

Online voting as a possible option

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country could look at holding elections in an online format. He told ZDF that such a move would require parliament to find and adopt a legal framework first (Зеленский заявил, что Украина может рассмотреть возможность проведения онлайн-выборов во время войны – NV) (Зеленський заявив, що Україна може розглянути онлайн-вибори – Українська правда) (Зеленський допустив проведення виборів в Україні онлайн: за якої умови це можливо – TSN) (Зеленський допустив можливість проведення виборів в Україні, але є нюанс – UNIAN).

Why soldiers are the core concern

Zelensky said millions of servicemen are in trenches on the front line, and that organizing voting there is technically impossible at present. He said holding an election in which soldiers could not take part would be unfair, calling it entirely unjust. He added that the armed forces themselves oppose a vote under current conditions for the same reason.

Earlier positions

On October 11, Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to hold elections if Russia agreed to a full 60-day ceasefire. In the ZDF interview he also said he had been prepared to organize a vote over the winter if Washington could secure a winter truce with Moscow.

What comes next

No concrete timetable or legislative draft has been announced. Any online voting scheme depends on parliament producing a solution, and the question of soldiers' voting rights remains the main obstacle Zelensky has named.