Regarding “incorrect” information regarding the voter registration procedure outside Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina rejects the aforementioned allegations and considers it necessary to react in order to protect accurate information to the public, the institution announced.
“The voter registration procedure for voting outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina is carried out exclusively in accordance with the Election Law of BiH, by-laws and clearly prescribed administrative procedures that apply equally to all voters. The tasks of receiving, recording, processing and deciding on voter applications are not carried out arbitrarily nor are they carried out by one person, but by several officials of the Secretariat of the Central Election Commission of BiH, within the framework of clearly defined competences and procedures. In this regard, the statements according to which the Secretary General of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina “controls the entire flow of documentation”, “retains”, “postpones” or “loses” documentation and thus affects the registration of voters outside Bosnia and Herzegovina,” statements from the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina also rejects claims of alleged manipulations of the electronic voter registration system.
“The “e-Elections” application enables submission of applications electronically, after which each application undergoes administrative and technical checks prescribed by law and by-laws. It is important to emphasize that the confirmation of a successfully submitted electronic application is a confirmation that the request has been received and recorded in the system, but it does not represent a confirmation that all legal requirements for voter registration have been automatically met. Only after checking the submitted documentation is it determined whether the specific application meets the conditions regulated by the election regulations,” it is stated in the announcement.
It is added that claims that applications are rejected without a legal basis due to voter signatures are also incorrect. Article 7 of the Instructions on the procedure for sending, 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 the voter, after completing the electronic application, is obliged to print the application form, check the entered data, and sign it by hand identical to the signature on the identification document submitted with the application.
The stated obligation is not an additional condition introduced by officials of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but a clearly prescribed procedure that applies equally to all voters.
“In cases where deficiencies or inconsistencies in the submitted documentation are identified during processing, voters are given the opportunity to eliminate them in accordance with the prescribed procedures and deadlines, with the aim of protecting the right to vote and enabling the participation of all voters who meet the legal requirements,” explained the CEC.
The Central Electoral Commission of BiH especially rejects political qualifications and insinuations that link officials of this institution with political parties or alleged politically motivated activities.
The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina calls on the public and all participants in the election process to base information on the exercise of voting rights and the conduct of election activities on verified facts and official information from competent institutions, in order to preserve citizens’ trust in the election process.
