Press Releases

SARAJEVO, 29 July 2026 – With regard to the article titled “Alliance of Columnists’ | Azra Zornić: Criticism of the obstruction of voter registration from the Diaspora at the CEC of BiH”, published on 28 July 2026 on the Radiosarajevo.ba portal, which contains inaccurate, unfounded and wholly unsubstantiated allegations concerning the work of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its staff, the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina rejects these allegations and considers it necessary to respond in order to protect the public’s right to accurate information.

The article contains serious accusations of the alleged obstructions of voter registration outside Bosnia and Herzegovina, deliberate prevention of the exercise of voting rights, manipulation of documentation, abuse of official position and politically motivated conduct by the staff of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina emphasizes that these allegations are entirely false, unfounded and unsupported by any evidence.

The voter registration process for voting outside Bosnia and Herzegovina is conducted exclusively in accordance with the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina, relevant by-laws and clearly prescribed administrative procedures that are applied equally to all voters. The tasks related to receiving, recording, processing and deciding on voter registration applications are not carried out arbitrarily, nor are they performed by a single individual, but rather by several members of the Secretariat of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, within clearly defined responsibilities and procedures. In this regard, the allegations that the Secretary General of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina “controls the entire flow of documentation”, “withholds”, “delays” or “loses” documentation and thereby influences the registration of voters outside Bosnia and Herzegovina are false.

The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina also rejects the allegations regarding the alleged manipulation of the electronic voter registration system. The “e-Elections” application enables voters to submit their applications electronically, after which each application undergoes the administrative and technical verification procedures prescribed by the law and relevant by-laws. It is important to emphasize that the confirmation of a successfully submitted electronic application merely confirms that the application has been received and recorded in the system; it does not constitute confirmation that all legal requirements for voter registration have automatically been met. Only after the submitted documentation has been reviewed is it determined whether a particular application satisfies the requirements prescribed by the election regulations.

The allegations that applications are rejected without a legal basis due to voters’ signatures are also inaccurate. Article 7 of the Instruction on the Procedure for Submitting, Receiving, Processing, Archiving and Protecting Electronic Applications and Documents of Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina for Voting Outside Bosnia and Herzegovina by Electronic Means stipulates that, after completing the electronic application, the voter is required to print the application form, verify the entered information and sign it by hand using a signature identical to the one appearing on the identification document submitted with the application. This requirement is not an additional condition introduced by the staff of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but rather a clearly prescribed procedure that is applied equally to all voters. Where deficiencies or inconsistencies in the submitted documentation are identified during the processing of an application, voters are given the opportunity to remedy them in accordance with the prescribed procedures and deadlines, with the aim of protecting voting rights and enabling all voters who meet the legal requirements to participate in the elections.

The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina particularly rejects the political characterizations and insinuations that seek to associate the staff of this institution with political parties or allegedly politically motivated conduct. Such allegations are supported neither by facts nor by evidence and represent solely the personal views of the author of the article. The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina remains fully committed to the lawful, transparent and impartial conduct of all electoral activities and the protection of the voting rights of all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including voters who exercise their right to vote from outside Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina calls upon the public and all participants in the electoral process to rely on verified facts and official information provided by the competent institutions when seeking information on the exercise of voting rights and the conduct of electoral activities, in order to preserve public confidence in the electoral process.