Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina living abroad have until July 21 at midnight to register for voting in the upcoming general elections, but election officials are warning that many applications have not been completed correctly.
Suad Arnautović, a member of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that almost 22,000 citizens living outside the country have applied so far to vote either by mail or at diplomatic and consular offices.
However, he warned that a significant number of applications contain errors or are incomplete. Because of that, he urged citizens not to wait until the final days, since incorrect applications may need to be corrected before the deadline.
The registration is done through the online election portal, where voters abroad can choose how they want to vote. For members of the diaspora, this process is especially important because they cannot vote from abroad unless they complete the registration on time.
Arnautović said the current number of applications is similar to the level recorded at this stage during previous election cycles, but he expects the number to grow in the remaining days before the deadline.
He also reminded citizens that special rights remain in place for people from Bosnia and Herzegovina who have refugee status or are temporarily living outside the country. Those rules will continue to apply unless the election law is changed.
The message from election officials is clear: citizens living abroad should check their documents carefully, complete the application correctly and submit everything before July 21 at midnight.
For Bosnians in the United States, Europe and elsewhere, the deadline is an important opportunity to remain involved in the political process at home.
