Bosnia and Herzegovina to implement new electoral technology

electoral technology biometric identification Bosnia and Herzegovina elections voter integrity optical scanners

Bosnia and Herzegovina is set to implement new electoral technologies for its upcoming general elections, including biometric identification and optical scanners for paper ballots. Jovan Kalaba, President of the Central Election Commission (CIK), stated that these tools aim to restore public trust by preventing fraudulent voting, such as voting in the name of deceased persons or those residing outside the country. While the technology will automate counting and provide rapid preliminary results, paper ballots will remain the primary method of voting to ensure a verifiable audit trail.

The European Union has expressed support for these measures, with Luigi Soreka, Head of the EU Delegation, noting that the technology is intended to reduce manipulation and increase transparency. However, officials emphasized that technology alone cannot guarantee fair elections; the responsibility for integrity lies with national institutions, civil society, and the media.

In response to political criticism regarding the legality of this technology, the German Embassy in Sarajevo clarified that the German Federal Constitutional Court has not banned electoral technology, provided that the counting process remains understandable and verifiable for the public. Meanwhile, local demonstrations in cities like Goražde have allowed citizens to test the new biometric and scanning equipment to familiarize themselves with the updated process.

Entities

Admir Katica · Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bosna i Hercegovina · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina · Centralna izborna komisija BiH · Delegacija EU u BiH · European Union Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina · Faruk Selmanović · German Embassy in Sarajevo · Jovan Kalaba · Košnica

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 4 SOURCES] The EU supports the introduction of new technologies to increase transparency and speed up the announcement of results. prijedor24.com · www.klix.ba · 6yka.com · www.mreza-mira.net
[● 2 SOURCES] The German Embassy rejected claims that the new electoral technology is unconstitutional in Germany, noting that manual recounts can ensure transparency. depo.ba · radiosarajevo.ba
[● 5 SOURCES] Biometric identification and scanners will be used to prevent fraudulent voting and speed up result reporting. www.bl-portal.com · prijedor24.com · www.klix.ba · 6yka.com · www.mreza-mira.net
[○ 1 SOURCE] Mail-in voters are instructed to use black or dark markers to ensure ballots can be scanned correctly. radiobrcko.ba
[● 2 SOURCES] Voters in Goražde tested the new system, which includes biometric authentication via fingerprint and optical scanning of paper ballots. www.072info.com · tuzlanski.ba