Changes to Election Code secure voter rights and counteract electoral fraud, but also pose risks to the electoral system

On 16 July the Verkhovna Rada adopted amendments to the Election Code which include several positive changes, such as drastically lowering electoral financial deposits in Local elections and providing that the use of any form of internet voting should be regulated in a separate law and that any piloting of this should only be introduced once a specific law has been developed to regulate this.

However, Civil Network OPORA notes several issues with the amendments in their latest analysis, including that the expansion of the proportional electoral system to communities with 10,000 or more voters drastically reduces opportunities for independent candidates to run in Local elections.

OPORA recommends that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Central Election Commission, and other responsible bodies immediately launch an information campaigns for voters on the main changes to the 2020 election process.