Sarajevo, August 6, 2024 - The United States government has invested $500,000 USD to support the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) to pilot new voting technologies during the October 2024 Bosnia and Herzegovina municipal elections, with the aim of preparing BiH for full-scale application of this technology during the 2026 general elections. The initiative is a part of the United States Agency for International Development’s Support to Electoral Integrity (USAID SEI) activity in BiH, which launched in October 2023 to support election reforms that will align BiH’s election system with international standards and best democratic practices.
“We are committed to supporting free, fair, and transparent elections in BiH to give all citizens an equal voice in who their elected officials are and advance BiH on its path toward EU accession,” said USAID Bosnia and Herzegovina Mission Director Courtney Chubb. “The new technologies we are introducing will allow voters in BiH to experience a voting process similar to the one they are used to, while reducing the potential for mistakes and fraud during the count and improving overall integrity of the voting process.”
The pilot will test the use of optical scanners that directly transmit results in 145 polling stations in the BiH municipalities of Vogošća, Tuzla, Visoko, Stolac, Novi Grad and Prijedor. These locations were selected by USAID and the CEC to provide a statistically relevant sample of municipalities and polling stations that are demographically and politically representative of BiH. The scanners will be provided by election technology company Smartmatic.
The pilot is a result of long-term advocacy and key recommendations of the Pod Lupom citizen coalition of local civil society organizations that represent the desires of BiH voters. Pod Lupom observers will be present in every polling station where the pilot is implemented and will be specially trained to observe and report on the pilot.
"Pod Lupom has long recognized and promoted advantages of new technologies for BiH elections. I believe that we have preconditions for the most fair elections in BiH yet” said Dario Jovanović, the coalition’s president.
Introducing new technology is one piece of USAID’s $5.5 million, four-year electoral integrity project. In addition to the pilot, USAID SEI will provide comprehensive support to election authorities to administer elections, including strategic planning, capacity building, election training, and voter outreach and awareness. It will also bolster civil society oversight of election observation with innovative digital, open-source tools in partnership with Pod Lupom.
“Pod Lupom has long recognized and promoted advantages of new technologies for BiH elections. I believe that we have preconditions for the most fair elections in BiH yet,” said Dario Jovanović, the coalition’s president.
Introducing new technology is one piece of USAID’s $5.5 million, four-year electoral integrity project. In addition to the pilot, USAID SEI will provide comprehensive support to election authorities to administer elections, including strategic planning, capacity building, election training, and voter outreach and awareness. It will also bolster civil society oversight of election observation with innovative digital, open-source tools in partnership with Pod Lupom.
Smartmatic
