Central Election Commission member urges diaspora to register for General Election as deadline nears

Bosnian citizens living abroad have until July 21 (midnight local time in BiH) to register to vote in the country's General Election, scheduled for October 4.

Suad Arnautovic, a member of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said nearly 22,000 voters from the diaspora have already registered through the CEC's online portal, but warned that a significant number of applications were submitted incorrectly.

According to Arnautovic, 21,911 eligible voters living outside Bosnia and Herzegovina have registered so far to vote either by mail or at BiH's diplomatic and consular missions abroad.

He said the number is broadly in line with registration trends recorded at the same stage ahead of the 2022 general and local elections and expects registrations to increase significantly over the remaining two weeks.

Arnautovic credited media coverage with raising awareness about the registration process, noting that many Bosnian citizens had recently been focused on the national football team's World Cup campaign.

However, he expressed concern that 1,722 applications, or 7.9 percent of the total, have been completed incorrectly.

"The entire process is fully digital and takes between eight and 14 minutes, with an average completion time of around ten minutes," Arnautovic said, urging citizens not to leave registration until the final days.

Germany tops diaspora registrations

The largest number of registered voters comes from Germany, where around 4,500 Bosnian citizens have signed up.

It is followed by:

Croatia - around 3,400

Austria - 2,207

Serbia - around 990

Sweden - 870

Switzerland - 754

In all other countries, fewer than 300 voters have registered so far.

Required documents

Arnautovic explained that Bosnian citizens holding a valid national identity card and residing temporarily abroad must submit scanned copies of both sides of their ID card, along with an official document issued by the host country confirming their temporary residential address.

He stressed that utility bills, telephone bills or gas bills cannot be used as proof of residence. Instead, applicants must provide an official identification or residence document issued by the country where they currently live.

CEC's role is technical, not political

Asked why repeated public appeals are necessary to encourage diaspora registration, Arnautovic said the Central Election Commission's role is not to persuade citizens whether or why to vote, but to ensure they understand the registration and voting procedures.

He stressed that the Central Election Commission's mandate is to ensure a transparent electoral process rather than encourage support for any political option.

Arnautovic also noted that BiH's Election Law continues to provide special voting rights for citizens who have refugee status or are temporarily residing abroad, adding that these provisions remain in force until amended by lawmakers.