Bosnia adopts new ballot format without candidate names for October elections

Ahead of the 4 October general elections, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Central Election Commission will introduce redesigned voting papers to accommodate new automatic‑scanning machines. On most ballots only the names of political parties and the numbers assigned to each candidate will appear; the candidates’ full names are moved to a separate informational sheet that voters will use as a guide.

The new format also adds a unique QR code to each ballot to prevent fraudulent ballot transfers and removes manual signatures and stamps. The exception is the ballot for the three‑member Presidency, which will retain printed candidate names. Voters will still receive the same number of ballots based on their residence, diaspora voting remains unchanged, and an educational campaign with videos and guides will be launched to familiarise the electorate with the new process.