Suad Arnautović, a member of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, believes the country should consider introducing compulsory voting, under which every voter would be required to vote. As part of possible reforms, he also proposed introducing special voter ID cards.
In an interview with Fena, Arnautović made a series of suggestions for improving the election process in Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasizing that this represents his personal opinion and not the official stance of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“In my opinion, we should consider introducing compulsory voting in Bosnia and Herzegovina and ensuring that every voter has their own voter ID card,” Arnautović said.
According to his opinion, the matter of compulsory voting is connected to the problem of the Central Voters’ Register, which he believes does not reflect the actual situation on the ground.
Arnautović assessed that the voting register is “inflated”, especially because of the persons who own valid personal documents in Bosnia and Herzegovina but do not live in the country.
He proposed two approaches as possible solutions: the introduction of obligatory voting or a return to active voter registration, at least for one election cycle, with obligatory issuance of voter ID cards to all registered voters.
Proposes Changes to Election Organization
In addition to compulsory voting, Arnautović believes it is necessary to consider the changes in the composition of polling station committees. He proposed that their members consist exclusively of civil servants, administrative staff, and employees of public institutions whose compensation is funded from the budget.
He also believes that the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina should appoint members of municipal and city election commissions, while their allowances should be paid from the CEC budget.
Speaking about the election calendar, he proposed that local and general elections be held in the same year, but at different times. According to his proposal, local elections would be organized in April, and general elections, as always, on the first Sunday of October.
Another potential change would concern the age limit for exercising the right to vote. Arnautović believes in the option to allow young people aged 16 to receive active and passive suffrage, meaning the right to vote and to run for office.
As examples, he cited Germany and Austria, which in 2007 became the first EU member states to introduce voting rights from the age of 16 for certain elections.
Proposes Stricter Electoral Thresholds
Arnautović also spoke about possible changes to how votes are converted into mandates, as well as electoral thresholds for political parties and coalitions.
He proposed replacing the Sainte-Laguë formula with Victor d’Hondt’s formula, alongside the introduction of different electoral thresholds, depending on whether a single party or a coalition is contesting the elections.
Arnautović believes that such a system would draw a clearer line between individual political entities and large coalitions.
Warning on Unequal Vote Weight
It is necessary to pay particular attention to electoral units and their boundaries, to minimize room for political manipulation.
He cited electoral units 1b, 2b, and 3b as examples in the Republika Srpska, which elect a total of nine direct representatives to the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Each of them provides three mandates, but the number of registered voters differs significantly.
According to data presented by Arnautović, in electoral unit 1b, which covers the Banja Luka region, there were 570,725 registered voters on October 4, 2026, while electoral unit 3b, covering the Trebinje region, had 296,496 voters.
The difference amounts to 274,229 voters, although both electoral units elect the exact number of representatives.
Arnautović warned that such differences raise questions about the equality of the voting right and the number of votes necessary to win a single mandate.
He assessed that the equal value of every vote is one of the fundamental principles of free and fair elections and that the boundaries of electoral units should be adjusted to ensure a more equitable ratio between the number of voters and the number of mandates.
Arnautović concluded that a substantive debate among decision-makers should be opened regarding all of these proposals, considering their potential consequences for the electoral system and democratic process in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Klix.ba writes.
