The National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine, in collaboration with leading experts, presents the SECURITY MANIFESTO—a strategic guidance document that defines the legal and security principles for organizing and conducting elections under a special legal regime.

The Association publicly appeals to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Central Election Commission to take the provisions of the Manifesto into account when developing and implementing the relevant legal and organizational mechanisms. We urge state authorities to consider these recommendations as a conceptual foundation for creating a secure electoral environment capable of ensuring the stability of state institutions and the continuity of the exercise of popular sovereignty.

SECURITY MANIFESTO

This Security Manifesto was drafted based on the results of the public discussion “Challenges of Organizing and Conducting Elections Under a Special Legal Regime,” which took place with the participation of representatives of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, experts, and civil society institutions.

The discussion focused on defining the legal, organizational, and security conditions necessary to ensure the legitimacy of the electoral process and the continuity of the exercise of popular sovereignty under martial law.

At the heart of the discussion was the issue of public trust in the procedures for organizing and conducting elections, as well as in the legitimacy of their results during wartime.

Participants in the discussion highlighted the risks of interference in the electoral process by the Russian Federation, as well as possible internal and external instances of fraud that could influence the free expression of voters’ will and call into question the legitimacy of the election results.

Particular attention was paid to the fundamental nature of citizenship as a lasting public-law relationship between the state and the citizen, one that does not cease during wartime or when citizens are forcibly displaced beyond Ukraine’s borders.

Citizenship entails mutual rights and obligations: the right of citizens to participate in the formation of public authorities and the corresponding obligation of the state to ensure that everyone has the conditions to exercise these rights in accordance with the Constitution and the principles of the rule of law, especially in the postwar period.

During the discussion, particular emphasis was placed on the objective obstacles to the exercise of electoral rights by millions of citizens, including military personnel, internally displaced persons, Ukrainian citizens temporarily residing outside the country, and those living in temporarily occupied territories.

In defending its sovereignty, Ukraine cannot deviate from democratic principles even under martial law; therefore, organizing the electoral process requires finding fair and secure solutions.

It is precisely this understanding of democracy as a living value—rooted in the rule of law, political accountability, and the assurance of a fair, secure, and legitimate electoral process—that has served as the foundation for this Security Manifesto.

1. SECURITY AS A PREREQUISITE AND GUARANTEE

Elections are possible only if the lives and health of citizens are prioritized, which requires ensuring the physical security of polling stations, the availability of shelters, the clearance of minefields, and readiness for flexible voting formats—including voting over several days—to minimize large gatherings in the event of aerial threats and to ensure the ability to cast a vote even in the absence of electricity or heating.

2. THE INALIENABILITY OF CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES

Once martial law has ended, the electoral process must be based on universal, equal, and direct suffrage, with secret balloting. Any temporary restrictions must be clearly justified, proportionate, and strictly limited in time so as not to undermine the very foundation of the democratic system.

3. POLITICAL PARTICIPATION OF MILITARY PERSONNEL AND VETERANS

Ensuring the right of military personnel to vote and be elected is a matter of national justice and public gratitude. The state must develop effective and secure voting mechanisms at military bases and in areas where veterans reside, as well as create conditions for the full participation of military personnel and veterans in the country’s political life.

4. CONTINUITY OF CITIZENSHIP

Citizenship is a permanent legal bond that is not terminated as a result of armed aggression, evacuation, captivity, or forced migration. The state recognizes the right of every citizen to vote and to be elected, regardless of the circumstances in which he or she finds themselves.

5. PRIORITIES AND PHASES OF THE ELECTION PROCESS

Taking into account parliamentary discussions and the work of the Central Election Commission, the primary task may be to hold presidential elections as a means of confirming the legitimacy of the country’s top leadership. At the same time, security and organizational considerations—in particular, ensuring that citizens abroad can vote and resolving the issue of participation by residents of temporarily occupied territories—remain key challenges.

6. ENSURING THE ELECTORAL RIGHTS OF DISPLACED PERSONS AND REFUGEES

Ensuring the electoral rights of millions of citizens who are abroad or have the status of internally displaced persons requires complex and coordinated administrative decisions, particularly regarding the establishment of an effective network of overseas polling stations, the implementation of secure digital registration tools, and ensuring the practical accessibility of electoral procedures in areas with concentrated Ukrainian populations.

7. PROTECTION OF THE INFORMATION SPHERE AND CYBERSECURITY

The security of the electoral process is inextricably linked to countering hybrid threats and requires ensuring the resilience of voter registries against cyberattacks, as well as the implementation of systematic mechanisms to counter disinformation in order to prevent external influence on citizens’ informed choices and the discrediting of election results.

8. FAIR TERRITORIAL ORGANIZATION OF ELECTIONS

The conduct of elections must be based on clear, standardized, and transparent security criteria for each community. To this end, it is necessary to develop a unified methodology for assessing security risks in de-occupied and frontline territories, which will prevent political manipulation during the electoral process.

9. RESTORING AND STRENGTHENING TRUST IN INSTITUTIONS

Post-war elections must serve as a tool for overcoming social alienation and restoring trust. Transparent vote counting, the participation of international observers, and open public dialogue regarding every stage of the electoral process are critical to building a new architecture of public trust.

10. THE CENSUS AS A TOOL FOR COMPILING VOTER REGISTERS

Updating population data through a census or the integration of government registries is a necessary prerequisite for compiling accurate voter rolls and ensuring equal suffrage amid mass migration of citizens in the postwar period.

11. INTERNATIONAL TRUST AND COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS

The organization of postwar elections must comply with international democratic standards and be transparent and open to independent assessment by international partners and observers.

12. ELECTORAL CULTURE AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Elections are, first and foremost, a culture of civic participation that entails shared responsibility on the part of the state, political forces, the media, and citizens for the integrity of the process and informed decision-making.

13. THE TRIUMPH OF DEMOCRATIC VALUES

Ukraine must demonstrate that its victory is measured not only by successes on the battlefield but also by its unwavering commitment to democratic principles. Postwar elections are a test of democratic maturity, in which the complexity of governance decisions cannot serve as an excuse for restricting rights and freedoms. This is a manifesto of faith in a state that works for the people of Ukraine, respects the dignity of every citizen, and maintains its democratic course even after the most severe trials.

BY PROTECTING THE LAW, WE PROTECT SECURITY

BY PROTECTING PEOPLE, WE PROTECT UKRAINE

• OLEKSII SHEVCHUK Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine
• SERGEY PETKOV Doctor of Law, Professor, Lieutenant Colonel
• DENYS BOGUSH Ukrainian political strategist, President of the Association of Political Consultants of Ukraine
• SERGEY GODNYY Candidate of Political Science
• OLGA SUSSKA, Doctor of Sociology, Professor

The National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine expresses its sincere gratitude to the expert community for their active participation in the public discussion “Challenges of Organizing and Conducting Elections Under a State of Emergency,” which took place on January 16, 2026, at the press center of the Ukrinform News Agency.”