Memo for IDPs: how to vote in the elections

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On October 26, Ukraine will hold early parliamentary elections.

According to official figures, the number of temporary displaced persons from the ATO zone in eastern Ukraine is over 200,000. However, most experts believe that this figure is much higher, as many IDPs do not register with the relevant government agencies.

What an IDP needs to do to vote in the October 26 parliamentary elections:

1. Find the State Register of Voters

The first thing to do is to contact the State Register of Voters at the place of temporary residence no later than 5 days before the election day (October 20 inclusive).

Usually, it is located in the state administration or city council.

Information on the address of the State Register can be found on the Internet or by contacting reference 109. You must come to the institution in person with your passport.

2. Write an application and provide supporting documents

In the State Register, you need to fill out an application in the prescribed form, explaining the reason for the temporary change of voting place.

The application must be accompanied by documents confirming your motivation. This can be a certificate from the housing office stating that you temporarily reside at a certain address, or a certificate from the social service where you registered.

Travel documents that will certify your intention to stay in a certain locality on October 26 can be used as such documents.

4. IDPs will be able to vote at the place of their temporary residence by applying to the department of the State Register of Voters.

Upon consideration of the application, you should receive a special certificate confirming your right to vote at the place of residence. Be sure to check with the State Register employees the date and time of its receipt.

The certificate of temporary change of voting place will contain the address and number of the polling station where you will vote. The State Register will add you to the voter list.

4. Come to the polling station on election day, October 26

On election day, you will be given one ballot at the polling station, where you can vote for a particular political party. IDPs will be able to vote only in the nationwide constituency.

"The fact is that the early parliamentary elections are held under a mixed electoral system, according to which half of the Verkhovna Rada (225 deputies) is elected by proportional representation, and the other half - by the majority system. In the first case, voters will vote for parties, and in the second case, for majoritarian candidates nominated in electoral districts. IDPs will be able to vote for parties anywhere, and for majoritarian candidates only at their place of residence," explains Serhiy Tkachenko, Chairman of the Board of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine.

"We strongly recommend that all IDPs apply to the State Voter Register authorities right now. The sooner it is done, the better. Firstly, there are a lot of voters who want to vote at the place of temporary residence, so the queues will grow significantly closer to the election day. Secondly, if IDP voters receive certificates of temporary change of voting place much earlier than five days before the election day, it will greatly facilitate the work of the State Register employees who perform a large amount of work during this period," said Oleksandr Stelmakh, Head of the State Register of Voters.

The memo was prepared by the experts of the joint monitoring campaign of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine and the Civil Network OPORA in Donetsk Oblast and a representative of the State Voter Register Service.