Bosnia election ballot reforms and tech rollout

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Central Election Commission (CIK) is preparing for the October 4, 2026 general elections with an extensive overhaul of voting procedures. Ballots have been redesigned for automatic‑scanning machines: only party names and candidate numbers appear on the paper ballot, while full candidate details are provided on a separate information sheet. Each ballot carries a QR code and eliminates manual signatures and stamps. Voters will receive two sheets – an informational ballot and an A4‑size sheet on which they must colour circles beside party names and candidate numbers with a chemical pen – a format intended to improve scan reliability but flagged by officials as a possible source of a record number of invalid votes as voters adapt to the new layout.

An electronic draw on 23 July, conducted with random.org, set the order of the 82 political subjects on the ballot, placing the BHI‑Kasumović Fuad coalition first, followed by HNP, the “Coalition for the State”, Naša stranka (6), SDS (7), Ćamil Duraković (8) and HDZ BiH (18). The reforms also cut 45 fictitious parties, limit preferential voting to three candidates per list, and introduce biometric voter identification, QR‑coded anonymous ballots, and electronic result processing supplemented by manual counts. The HDZ BiH presidency has voiced concerns about insufficient voter information and has called for intensified public outreach.

The overall aim is to enhance transparency, curb vote‑selling, and modernise the electoral process ahead of the October election.