The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections “Pod lupom” has launched a public campaign being implemented throughout this non-election year by 40 member organizations in 50 municipalities and cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina. The aim of the campaign is to improve the electoral process and raise public awareness about the importance of fair and transparent elections.
As part of the campaign, the Coalition plans to advocate for recommendations to improve the electoral process, implement the educational program Academy for Fair Elections, and later this fall launch the First Time Voter initiative, targeting young people who will be voting for the first time in the 2026 elections.
“We don’t wait for an election year to talk about elections — change must be continuous. Now is the right time to build the foundations for fair and transparent elections together. We want to encourage citizens to recognize their role and become active participants in safeguarding electoral integrity,” stated representatives of the “Pod lupom” Coalition.
First Academy for Fair Elections Held
The Academy for Fair Elections has already been implemented in several local communities, where citizens have shown strong interest in this educational program. Through a series of lectures, participants learn about electoral rules and irregularities, the roles of election observers, how to report violations, and the importance of their vote.
“Citizens of Bosansko Grahovo showed strong interest in the Academy for Fair Elections. Participants of the first session included representatives from the municipal government, police, NGOs, and non-partisan citizen observers from previous election cycles. People expressed the most interest in the introduction of new technologies into the electoral process, as well as current changes to electoral legislation. It is clear that citizens want to regain trust in institutions — which is currently significantly eroded — and they are eager to engage in the Coalition’s upcoming activities,” said Danka Zelić of the Association of Women Citizens Grahovo.
“Although youth interest in the electoral process in BiH is generally low, we are encouraged by the fact that some young people have completed the Academy for Fair Elections and now possess basic knowledge that could benefit them in the future. This program is also fostering growing interest among youth in non-partisan election observation — an important step toward their more active involvement in democratic processes,” stated Azemina Turić from the organization Nova Vizija in Novi Travnik.
Call to Citizens
The “Pod lupom” Coalition invites all citizens to take part in the activities that will be implemented in local communities throughout the year.
Everyone can easily get involved by signing up at: https://ukljucise.podlupom.org/
