FALSE: Most Ukrainians support holding elections during martial law

There is a quote circulating online attributed to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, stating that he is ready to hold elections during a state of war, but ‘the majority of Ukrainians are against it.’ The post’s authors claim that, in reality, the president does not want to hold elections because he fears losing his position. The post also quotes Volodymyr Zelenskyi as saying he ‘hears voices in the West in favor of negotiations with Russia.’

However, this is not true. Opinion polls conducted in September-October 2023 show that the majority of citizens are against holding elections during wartime. Zelenskyi also stated that partners are not currently insisting on negotiations with Russia, but there are a few voices that consistently call for it.

On November 30, in a conversation with an Associated Press journalist, Volodymyr Zelenskyi stated that he was willing to hold elections in March 2024; however, due to various reasons, it is currently impossible. He explained that conducting elections is not advisable due to the complex security situation. Russian forces could potentially target people gathered at polling stations. Additionally, military personnel, Ukrainians forced to leave the country, and individuals in temporarily occupied territories should have the opportunity to vote. Ignoring the votes of millions of citizens could cast doubt on the democracy and transparency of the elections. Moreover,the legislation prohibits holding elections during the martial law. The president mentioned, ‘90% of society is not ready for elections; they consider it both dangerous and senseless.’

Surveys confirm that the majority of citizens are against holding elections. From September 28 to October 4, 2023, the Razumkov Center conducted a face-to-face survey in 22 regions of Ukraine and Kyiv on behalf of ZN.UA. As a result, 69% of Ukrainians stated that neither parliamentary nor presidential elections should be held during martial law. Only 13.8% supported holding elections, with 5.7% prioritizing parliamentary elections and 2.3% indicating a preference for presidential elections.

Also, from September 30 to October 13, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) conducted a telephone survey of respondents who were residing within the territory of Ukraine at that time (within the areas controlled by Ukraine until February 24, 2022). In response to the question of when elections should be held, 81% of those surveyed said that elections should take place after the war, as they are currently not timely. Meanwhile, 16% of respondents believed that elections should still be held despite the ongoing war. Therefore, the majority of Ukrainians consider holding elections during wartime to be impractical.

Additionally, on September 18, more than 100 civil organizations, including ‘Vox Ukraine,’ signed a statement against holding elections in Ukraine during wartime. They justified their position by stating that elections would divide society, and the state of war, which limits certain rights and freedoms of citizens, would hinder fair political competition. ‘If competitive political struggle is impossible in wartime, then elections are definitely not free. Elections are not just a voting day, but loud debates between different camps about the best development program for the state,’ the statement said.

Representatives of civil organizations also pointed out that holding elections would require substantial funds, which would be better directed to other areas, including the purchase of weapons and ammunition, equipping hospitals, and so on.

In response to a question from a journalist about whether international partners are pressuring Zelenskyi, pushing Ukraine toward negotiations with Russia, the president replied that he does not currently feel this pressure. ‘Some voices always sound, and if there is an increase in these voices, there will probably be corresponding reactions from us. So far, I can’t say about that,‘ he stated.”