The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections “Pod lupom” organized a central election conference titled “Welcoming New Electoral Technologies” ahead of the announcement of the 2026 General Elections, bringing together representatives of authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, election administration, civil society, the international community, and the media.
In her opening remarks, Aurelie Valtat, Head of the European Integration, Political Affairs, and Information Section at the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasized that electoral integrity is the foundation of democracy.
“Citizens must have confidence that their vote matters and that the electoral process is fair. Electoral reform is essential. Bosnia and Herzegovina must ensure that its domestic constitutional and electoral frameworks are aligned with European standards. Credible elections are key on the path to the European Union. These reforms require broad discussion and the engagement of key institutional actors, together with experts and civil society,” stated Valtat.
The opening segment of the conference highlighted that new electoral technologies are already a reality in many democratic countries and that their implementation represents one of the key steps toward strengthening the integrity of the electoral process.
As part of the panel “New Electoral Technologies: Institutions Facing Reform,” discussions focused on the institutional framework for introducing new electoral technologies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Panelists addressed key implementation challenges, including technical, legal, and political aspects, as well as the level of preparedness of competent institutions to carry out electoral reforms. Particular emphasis was placed on preparations for the 2026 General Elections.
Panel participants included: Goran Mišković, Secretary General of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and members of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Miodrag Kovačević, Predrag Kožul, and Saša Magazinović.
“Free and fair elections cannot and must not be a matter of political will or opinion; they must represent a clear and sole direction of democratic action for our institutions and for those we elect to represent us within them. We call on certain competent institutions and political actors to stop obstructive practices, to fulfill their legal obligations, and to finally respond clearly and unequivocally to citizens’ demands regarding new electoral technologies,” stated Dario Jovanović, Project Manager of the Coalition “Pod lupom.”
The panel “New Electoral Technologies: Lessons Learned” brought together international experts who shared experiences from the process of introducing electoral technologies in different countries. Through concrete examples, panelists discussed the impact of these technologies on reducing electoral irregularities, strengthening public trust, and improving the efficiency of the electoral process, as well as the challenges and limitations encountered.
Panel participants included: Nino Dolidze, former Executive Director of ISFED (Georgia), Dritan Taulla, Deputy Chair of KRIIK (Albania), and Velko Miloev, electoral expert from Bulgaria.
New electoral technologies are currently used in 96 countries worldwide, including 15 European Union Member States. Experiences from other countries demonstrate that the implementation of these technologies has significantly improved electoral processes, as highlighted during the panel.
In the closing segment of the conference, an encouraging message was sent to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead of the 2026 General Elections.
With the introduction of new electoral technologies, Election Day will be free from the irregularities that have for years led to questionable election results and a loss of public trust in elections. We call on citizens not to succumb to voter pressure and disinformation during the upcoming electoral period. In the 2026 General Elections, citizens will be able to vote with confidence, knowing that their vote has gone exclusively to the candidate of their choice,” concluded Dario Jovanović.
The Central Election Conference of the Coalition “Pod lupom” was organized within the project “Civil Society for Electoral Integrity,” funded by the European Union and co-financed in part by the Embassy of France in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sweden.
