Biometric Equipment Soon Be Used in Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CIK) recently held “open house days” at its offices, during which it presented new technologies that could soon be introduced into the country’s electoral process. Over the course of five days, CIK staff will showcase the latest equipment that is expected to be implemented for the upcoming local elections in 2024.
The specialized scanner is equipped with biometric fingerprint recognition, as well as a biometric connection to the personal ID card system managed by IDDEEA. With this equipment, it would be possible to scan ballots more easily and transfer them quickly from polling stations to CIK’s main server. This would greatly enhance the efficiency of the electoral process and reduce irregularities that have been witnessed in almost every election cycle.
Implementing an electronic voting system also requires changes to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Election Law at the national level in order to facilitate the introduction of new technologies.
Željko Bakalar, a member of CIK, stated the following on this matter: “Electoral reform is the first of 14 priorities outlined in the European Commission’s Opinion on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU membership application. This involves aligning Bosnia and Herzegovina’s electoral legislation with the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR, the Venice Commission, and regulating the financing of political parties.”
These recommendations pertain to both the political aspects of electoral reform and the integrity of the electoral process through the introduction of new technologies.
