Ukraine
Return to Home Page

General Right to Vote
Constitution:
(28 June 1996)
• Article 38 states, "Citizens have the right to participate in the administration of state affairs, in All-Ukrainian and local referendums, to freely elect and to be elected to bodies of state power and bodies of local self-government."

Exclusion Based on Mental Disability
Constitution:
(28 June 1996)
• Article 70 states: "Citizens of the Ukraine who have attained the age of eighteen on the day elections and referendums are held, have the right to vote at the elections and referendums. Citizens deemed by a court to be incompetent do not have the right to vote."
Electoral Law:
(1997)
• Article 3, section (4) states: "Citizens, found incompetent by a court, do not have the right to vote and the right to be elected."

Voter Assistance by Other Citizens
Electoral Law:
(1997)
• Article 40, section (9) states: "… A voter who cannot complete the ballots himself has the right to invite another person of his choice into the cabin (room) for secret voting, except for the members of the electoral commission, candidates for deputy for the respective electoral constituency, or their authorized persons, or authorized persons of political parties, blocs of parties upon the notification of the chairman or deputy chairman of the polling station commission."
Poll Worker Manuals:
Guidebook for the Members of the Polling Station Elections Commissions for Elections of People's Deputies: Produced by The Central Elections Commission and IFES Ukraine (1998)
• A voter who needs assistance in marking the ballot is entitled to vote with the help of a companion of he/her choice. The companion shall not have come from among the commission, authorized party, candidate representatives, or official observers p 22.

Off-Site Voting Alternatives
Electoral Law:
(1997)
• Article 40, section (14) states: "In a case where certain voters cannot personally come to the premises for voting for to health reasons, on the voter's written request, the polling station commission shall compile the list of such voters no less than three days prior to election day, the commission shall determine the time and no less than three members of the commission to organize voting at place of residence of such voters. The time when the members of the commission go out to such voters shall be determined in a way so that the aforementioned voters vote no later than one hour before voting ends."
Poll Worker Manuals:
Guidebook for the Members of the Polling Station Elections Commissions for Elections of People's Deputies: Produced by The Central Elections Commission and IFES Ukraine (1998)
• Voters who by reason of illness or disability who cannot vote at the polling station will, at their written request, be allowed to vote from their home. p 23