Ballots under fire. Elections during war?
Consensus in Ukraine is that in order to hold elections, a ceasefire would first be necessary. Yet even if a genuine ceasefire were secured, urgent questions would follow. Ukraine thus faces a dilemma few modern democracies have encountered on such a scale: how to safeguard the integrity of elections while fighting for the state’s very survival.
April 21, 2026 -
Mariia Didkovska
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AnalysisIssue 3 2026Magazine
A Kharkiv neighbourhood after a guided aerial bomb attack from Russia. During an election, the authorities would have to ensure maximum safety of all polling stations, one of many challenges Ukraine would face if it were to organize elections during wartime.
Jose HERNANDEZ Camera 51 / Shutterstock
Ukraine’s parliament and presidency have remained unchanged since 2019. Under normal circumstances, the country would have held parliamentary elections in 2023 and presidential elections in 2024. Instead, amid Russia’s full-scale invasion, the vote was postponed indefinitely. The reason is not merely the volatility of wartime politics. Ukraine’s constitution and legislation, which has been in force since the outbreak of war in 2022, explicitly prohibits any elections under martial law. Yet the debate surrounding electoral politics during wartime refuses to fade. On the contrary, it is intensifying. In recent months, discussions about holding elections despite the war have gained momentum not only within Ukraine, but internationally. Pressure from Washington, combined with the threat to waive US security guarantees if Ukraine does not elect a new president and hold a peace deal referendum, has pushed the issue into the geopolitical spotlight. At the same time, Moscow eagerly exploits the postponement, branding Ukraine’s leadership as “illegitimate” in its ongoing information warfare.
Peace before or after the polls?
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elections, Russia's war against Ukarine, Ukraine, War
