Central Election Commission of BiH faces shortage of election operators

The Central Election Commission (CIK) of Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing a shortage of technical operators for upcoming elections. Out of 3,997 requested positions, only approximately 2,000 candidates have applied. Officials note that the number of qualified applicants may be even lower.

Due to the shortage, the CIK is considering extending the application period. It is also anticipated that the original plan to assign one operator to every polling station may not be feasible, meaning some operators will likely be responsible for multiple locations.

The role involves providing technical support to polling boards, managing new election technologies, installing equipment, and troubleshooting technical issues. The CIK is offering a net compensation of 310 KM for the position.

Simultaneously, the company Smartmatic has also been recruiting operators for election technology. There are ongoing efforts to verify if applicants have applied to both the CIK and Smartmatic. While recruitment is more successful in major cities like Sarajevo, Banja Luka, and Mostar, significant difficulties remain in smaller and rural areas.