October 25 is the Election Day in 2020 local elections. This year, Ukrainians elect representatives to local self-government bodies: members of oblast and raion councils, as well as members of local councils and their heads in 1,439 communities. Ukrainians will be able to exercise their right to vote at polling stations from 8:00 AM to 20:00 PM.

This is the first election to take place under the new Election Code and on a new territorial basis. Thus, on 25 October members to 22 oblast, 119 raion and local councils, as well as their heads are elected in 1,439 communities. Elections will not take place in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and in 18 communities of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, where the elections were not scheduled by the Central Election Commission based on opinions of oblast military and civil administrations. The second round of mayoral elections will be held only in cities with more than 75,000 voters (unless none of the candidates receives more than 50% of the vote in the first round).

This year, voters could change their election addressfor the first time using the new procedure, in order to vote at their place of residence. According to the final data of the State Register of Voters,  99,525 people took this opportunity. 29,284 precinct election commissions were formed for the organization of local elections.

To get ballot papers, a voter must to show his/herpassport of a citizen of Ukraine in paper form or ID-card to two members of the commission, sitting at a table representing the corresponding address.

Most citizens will receive four ballots. Voters in Kyiv will receive two ballots each, and voters whose election address is within the Ukrainian government-controlled territory of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts will receive three ballots each. Five ballots are handed in cities having city district councils (Zhytomyr, Kryvyi Rih, Kropyvnytskyi, Poltava, Kherson).

We would like to remind that these election have a new  form of ballots to vote for candidates to oblast and raion councils, as well as to city (village or settlement) councils with 10,000 or more voters. You may find information on how a ballot will look like and how to fill it in OPORA's instructions. It is important that it is possible to vote not only for a party, but also for a specific candidate on the list. Thus, voters can influence the final list of council members, as long as each vote may help to move candidates up in party lists.

The color of ballots is different for each type of election. Thus, oblast councils ballots are blue, raion councils - light green, city councils - light yellow, village and settlement councils - cream, and city district councils - light gray. Ballots for election of mayors in cities, villages or settlements are of light pink color.

If a voter spoils a ballot accidentally, he or she may ask the member of the election commission, who issued it, to exchange it for a new one. This can be done only once.

As long as quarantine restrictions are enforced in Ukraine due to the spread of COVID-19, quarantine measures will be enhanced at polling stations on the Election Day:

  • an authorized commission member will ask voters about their health and measure their temperature;
  • one must disinfect hands when entering the polling station;
  • it is necessary to keep social distance and follow marking when moving inside the polls;
  • it is recommended to use your own pen;
  • if possible, to leave minor children and animals at home;
  • in case of fever, vote in an isolated booth and use a separate ballot box.

OPORA has made a reminder to a voter on how to behave at a polling station in line with the law. The following is prohibited at a polling station: showing a marked ballot, taking a ballot out of the polling station, receiving a ballot without a passport or for another voter, obstructing other voters to vote, campaigning for or against, and receiving a reward for voting. Some of these violations are punished with a fine, others lead to criminal liability.

This video is also available to watch on Facebook

In addition, we note that stamping and signing vote count protocols by PEC members in advance, i.e. before the vote count is finished, as well as "correction"of vote count protocols outside of a PEC meeting by PEC members authorized to deliver electoral documents to the corresponding TECs, are both classified as falsification of electoral documents. When transporting electoral documents, a seal of the precinct election commission must be kept in a safe at premises of the corresponding election commission.

Since August 2020, Civil Network OPORA has been conducting a local election observation campaign with 188 observers involved from all over the country. The CEC gave OPORA a permission to have official observers in this election on 10 September. The election campaign observation report is available here. More than 1,500 observers will join on the Election Day.

Civil Network OPORA will provide online coverage of 25 October Election Day. Live broadcasts with analysts at the central office, the call center team and OPORA's election observation coordinators in all oblasts will be available on Facebook page and Youtube channels of OPORA at 11:00 AM, as well as 2:00, 6:00 and 9:00 PM.

On Monday, 26 October, at 11:00 AM in the press center of the Ukrinform (8/16 B. Khmelnytsky Str.), OPORA hold a press conference"Election Day Violations in 25 October local elections, and observation results from OPORA". On this press-conference, OPORA's experts will present the results of observation based on a sociologically based sampling.

If you work in a commission, observe the election or just want to control whether everything is in line with the law on the Election Day, we suggest you download a convenient Android mobile application "Elections 2020", which works even offline and contains the latest version of the Election Code with the function of "smart search" and allows to verify precinct protocols.

If you want to learn  about candidates in this election, you may use an interactive map of Ukraine from OPORA.

The decentralization reform gave local governments much more powers. Thus, the efficiency of governance system, the development of infrastructure and environment of your local community will depend on officials you elect.

Don't ignore your right to vote!

Call 102 if you detect a violation, or report it to OPORA's observers.

More information on electoral systems, the impact of local government reform on 2020 local elections, and vote count:

For comment, please contact:

[email protected]

044 591 44 44

Reference: OPORA's observation is aimed to provide impartial assessment of election administration and process, facilitate free and fair election, and prevent violations. Civil Network OPORA has been realizing a wide-scale observation of regular local elections, to be held on October 25. We have deployed 188 observers nationwide, and short-term observers will join them on the Election Day. OPORA also monitors the use of budget resources for indirect campaigning, and civic ombudsmen inspect polling premises in terms of accessibility, as well as protect voting rights of citizens.

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