The Coalition’s observers reported on 160 critical incidents occurring by 20:00 hrs on Election day. These incidents were immediately addressed in cooperation with the local election commissions and the Central Election Commission of BiH. The largest number of the incidents relate to preventing observers to monitor the election process (59) and other types of voting irregularities (47). The majority of the complaints resulted in correcting the irregularities observed at the poll.
The polls closed mainly in line with the regulation. 99.4% of the polls closed at 19:15 hrs while the remaining 0.6% closed with up to one-hour delay. At 2.1% of the polls that were not closed on time, citizens lined up outside the polling stations at 19:00 hrs were not allowed to vote even though the regulations provide differently. At almost all polling stations, all members of the polling station committees were present at the closing time.
At 99.4% of the polls, Pod Lupom observers are monitoring the vote counting process.
The Pod Lupom Coalition for the first time monitors voter turnout. The registered voter turnout in the 2020 Local elections in BiH by 18:00 hrs is 48.8% (margin of error+/- 1,15% on .95 confidence interval).
The Pod Lupom Coalition received around 100 citizens’ reports on election-day irregularities. The vast majority of these reports relate to inability of persons tested positive for Covid-19 or persons in isolation to exercise their right to vote, reports from citizens who found out that they were registered to vote by mail without their knowledge, reports on promotional materials in the vicinity of a polling station, violations of election silence, reports on vote-buying or pressure on voters. It was reported that a voter in East Novo Sarajevo found out that someone had already signed next to his name on the excerpt from the Central Voters’ Register.
The Coalition “Pod Lupom” will present the information on the opening of the polls, voting, closing, vote count preparations and turnout at the press conference that is scheduled to take place at 23:00 hrs, at Hotel Holiday in Sarajevo.
