Election silence begins in Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead of Sunday vote, first election to use biometrics and ballot scanners

The silence period will remain in effect until polling stations close at 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 4.

During this period, political parties and other political actors are prohibited from taking part in public political activities, while media outlets are barred from reporting on activities related to political or election campaigning.

A separate ban on publishing the results of opinion polls related to voting and the elections came into force at 7 a.m. on Friday.

Polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Polling stations across Bosnia and Herzegovina will open at 7 a.m. on Sunday and close at 7 p.m.

Voters must present a valid Bosnian identification document – an identity card, driving licence or passport – in order to cast their ballot. The Central Election Commission (CEC) says the secrecy of the vote is guaranteed.

More than 3.4 million people are registered to vote. According to the CEC, the Central Voters’ Register contained 3,408,517 voters as of August 20.

A total of 48,078 voters are registered to vote from abroad. Of those, 45,457 will vote by mail, while 2,621 are registered to cast their ballots at Bosnia and Herzegovina’s diplomatic and consular missions.

There are 5,569 polling stations and voting locations across the country, including 5,121 regular polling stations and 385 mobile teams. Voting will also take place at 20 Bosnian diplomatic and consular missions in 13 countries.

What is being elected?

Sunday’s vote will determine representatives at several levels of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s complex system of government.

Voters will elect the members of the tripartite Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and representatives to the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

They will also elect representatives to the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as members of the cantonal assemblies in the Federation.

In Republika Srpska, voters will elect the entity’s president and vice-presidents and members of the Republika Srpska National Assembly.

In total, 518 elected positions are being contested by 7,028 certified candidates.

Biometrics and ballot scanners used for first time

The 2026 election will also mark a major change in how voting is conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

For the first time, the elections will use biometric voter identification and ballot scanners, along with rapid transmission of election results.

The CEC formally determined that the technical requirements for the use of the new election technologies had been met. The equipment was introduced and tested ahead of the October vote.

The Commission has urged voters to check the location of their polling station and familiarise themselves with the candidates and voting procedures before heading to the polls.

Certified candidate lists, video instructions explaining the voting process in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and Brčko District, as well as educational materials for election administrators, are available through the CEC.

Around 30,000 observers expected

The CEC has so far accredited 2,432 election observers, including 1,557 representatives of civil society organisations, 756 international observers and 119 observers representing political parties.

Municipal and city election commissions have separately accredited around 25,000 observers representing political actors.

Overall, approximately 30,000 observers are expected to monitor the election process.

The Central Election Commission has called on all participants in the electoral process to ensure that Sunday’s vote is conducted in a fair and peaceful atmosphere.