Almost 80% of Ukrainians ready to take part in 2019 elections - poll

Most Ukrainians are ready to take part in presidential and parliamentary elections in the country next year, according to a survey conducted by the Institute for Analysis and Forecasting and the Sotsioprohnoz Analytical Group, with the support of the Kyiv Press Club.

The results of the survey were presented at Ukrinform on Thursday, the agency's correspondent said.

"The electoral activity in Ukraine is quite high. Some 45% of those polled said they would definitely go to the presidential elections if these elections were held next Sunday, and another 33% said they would most likely go to the polls," Director of the Institute for Analysis and Forecasting Yuriy Lisnychy said.

He added that according to the poll, 11% of respondents would definitely not go to the polls if they were held next Sunday. Another 8% said they would most likely not go to the polls, and 3% were undecided.

As for the participation of citizens in the elections to the Verkhovna Rada, which are scheduled for October 2019, 76% said they are going to take part in the voting.

"Some 40% of citizens said 'most likely yes' and 36% of citizens said 'definitely yes.' The potential activity of citizens is extremely high – 76%. That is, in the same way as in the presidential elections, more than three fourths of Ukrainians are going to vote. And this is an extremely optimistic result," Lisnychy said.

The poll was conducted from December 7 to December 18, 2018 in 24 regions of Ukraine and in Kyiv (except for temporarily occupied territories of Luhansk and Donetsk regions and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea). A total of 2,022 respondents were interviewed.