Central Election Commission Allows Voters Without Registered Residence to Vote

The decision will allow more than 1 million additional voters to take part in elections.

The Central Election Commission has allowed voters without a registered place of residence to vote. This is reported by the commission's press service CEC.

«A large number of Ukrainian citizens (more than 1 million people) have not been able to exercise their right to vote. This refers to voters who do not have a registered place of residence. This category also includes persons who turned 18 by the time of voting, meaning they gained the right to vote but, for certain reasons, were unable to register at their place of residence. Therefore, the CEC decided on its own initiative to resolve this issue,» the statement said.

Until this decision, voters without registration were prohibited from taking part in any elections. Now people will be able to vote in both national and local elections at their actual place of residence.

To do so, one must submit an application to the body maintaining the State Register of Voters either between elections or during the first five days of the electoral process. Once the electoral address is determined based on the actual place of residence, it cannot be changed for six months.

A paper application may be submitted in person or through an authorized representative. An electronic application must be submitted using a qualified electronic signature.

Earlier, the CEC also allowed voting in local elections at the actual place of residence rather than the place of registration. The rules for this are similar to those described above.

Both decisions will take effect on 1 July.