The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CEC BiH) adopted today the Decision on conducting test elections as part of the pilot process for determining the fulfillment of technical conditions for the application of specific election technologies and the Decision on conducting comprehensive testing of cyber security and digital forensic readiness of the electoral information technology system as part of the Test Election Scenario for September 11, 2026.
Test elections will be held in all municipalities/cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday, September 11, between 09:00 and 15:00.
The testing is organized and carried out as a simulated election process in conditions that, to the greatest extent possible, correspond to the conditions in which the selected election technologies will be used in the real election process.
For the purposes of the test elections, each municipal/city election commission designated one imaginary polling station for voting, where the entire voting process will be simulated. At the imaginary polling station, test voting will be possible for voters from the area of the municipality/city, that is, the basic electoral unit where the test elections are held.
In certain municipalities/cities, in addition to test elections at imaginary polling stations, test voting will also be organized at individual polling stations that are used in the regular election process.
Before joining the test vote, the test voter is obliged to sign a statement confirming that he is aware of the purpose of the test and consents to the processing of his personal data for the purposes of conducting test elections, in accordance with the regulations governing the protection of personal data.
Test elections are conducted as preparatory activities, in the sense of Article 20. 16e paragraph (2) of the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in order to comprehensively check the functionality, integrity, security, reliability and applicability of specific election technologies in the conditions of the simulated election process.
The goal of the test elections is to, through a comprehensive simulation of the election process, check the functioning of the chosen election technologies in their interconnection and interaction with the election procedures, participants in the election process and other relevant systems, while simultaneously verifying the fulfillment of the technical conditions for their application in the election process.
The results of the test elections are the basis for determining possible shortcomings and the need to undertake additional activities before their implementation on the day of the General Elections, October 4, 2026.
The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina invites voters to participate in the test elections, and it also invited the municipal/city election commissions to encourage voters to participate in the test elections in a convenient way.
