The Council of Europe has prepared a comparative study on the participation of persons with disabilities in electoral processes, providing practical and actionable recommendations to improve the accessibility and inclusiveness of elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The study analyses relevant international and European standards and good practices, as well as the existing legal and institutional framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Particular attention is given to the experiences of Croatia, Estonia, Germany and Ireland, including concrete solutions that enable persons with different types of disabilities to participate in the electoral process more equally and independently.

Although the electoral framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina already provides for certain mechanisms, such as voting with the assistance of another person, mobile voting and the requirement to consider accessibility when designating polling stations, significant barriers persist in practice. During the 2024 local elections, observers found that 51% of the polling stations observed did not provide independent access for voters with physical disabilities, while the interior layout was inadequate at 21% of polling stations.

The study also addresses the introduction of new electoral technologies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasising that accessibility must be incorporated into their design and implementation from the outset. The proposed measures include adapting polling stations, providing voters with information in accessible formats, introducing assistive tools for independent voting, improving the training of electoral administration staff and establishing more systematic co-operation with organisations of persons with disabilities.

The experiences of European countries demonstrate that a significant number of these measures can be implemented through administrative and operational changes, without amending legislation. The recommendations are therefore structured according to the timeframe and method of their potential implementation—from immediate measures requiring no legislative amendments and medium-term operational improvements to long-term legislative and structural reforms.

The study was prepared within the framework of the Council of Europe project “Supporting transparency, inclusiveness and integrity of electoral practice and processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Phase II”, in consultation with representatives of organisations of persons with disabilities and the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Study available on: https://rm.coe.int/comparative-study-disability-inclusion-electoral-processes-bih/48802d3ac1