Nearly 400 polling stations destroyed in Ukraine since start of war
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, 393 polling stations in Ukraine have been completely destroyed, while 1,001 others have been damaged but can still be restored.
These data were provided to Ukrinform by Serhii Dubovyk, Deputy Head of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine.
“As of today, Ukraine has 33,258 permanent polling stations. Of these, 27,300 are located in government-controlled territory, 5,854 in non-government-controlled territory, and 104 abroad,” Dubovyk told.
“Regarding polling station buildings and premises, 393 polling stations have been destroyed during the war and cannot be restored. As many as 1,001 have been damaged but are repairable,” he said.
Dubovyk added that additionally,122 polling stations were destroyed during the war for reasons unrelated to Russian armed aggression. The condition of 6,347 polling stations cannot currently be determined because they are located in temporarily occupied territories or frontline areas.
“At the same time, 643 polling stations that had been destroyed or damaged after the beginning of the aggression have already been restored,” he noted.
Dubovyk stressed that voting locations are determined by local self-government bodies or, where such bodies are absent, by military-civilian administrations.
“Each specific case will require an individual decision. If no suitable voting location exists, the Central Election Commission has proposed allowing voting to be organized in temporary structures, small architectural forms, tents, and similar facilities,” he explained.
According to Dubovyk, international practice allows such arrangements.
“Even in developed countries such as Norway, if there are not enough municipal buildings, voting is conducted in temporary structures assembled and organized by local authorities. So, this is not the main issue. The real issue is whether there are residents there who want to vote,” he said.
Earlier reports said that on December 26 last year, the first online meeting of a working group preparing legislative proposals for elections during a special or postwar period was held under the leadership of First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Oleksandr Korniienko. The group includes representatives of the Verkhovna Rada, Cabinet of Ministers, Central Election Commission, and civil society.
Ukraine’s parliament has also established seven subgroups tasked with drafting legislation governing elections during a special legal regime.