The 2026 General Election Campaign will officially start today and will last until October 3rd, 7:00 AM, when the election blackout takes effect.
On that occasion, the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina urges all political entities, candidates, their supporters, and media to strictly adhere to the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasizing the prohibition of using hate speech in public places.
“Hate speech” is every form of public expression or speech that provokes or incites discrimination or violence against any person or group of people, based on their race, skin color, nationality, gender or religion, ethnic background, or any other personal characteristic or orientation which triggers discrimination, hostility, and violence.
As a reminder, all political entities have the right to lead a campaign in a peaceful environment and organize rallies. They must also ensure equal promotion of candidates of both genders in all public and media appearances.
The competent municipal bodies must guarantee equal treatment to political entities certified for the elections regarding their requests to use public places and public facilities for campaign purposes, including holding rallies, displaying advertisements, posters, placards and other similar material.
The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina warns that it has the authority to sanction violations of the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina through fines, removing candidates from the list, or annulling a political entity’s certification.
The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina calls on all participants in the electoral process to conduct a fair campaign by respecting the law and rules, and appeals to the media to report on election activities accurately and professionally, in accordance with the journalistic code of ethics, said the Public Information Office of the CEC of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
