Currently, no branch of the State Voter Registry is operational in the Kherson region, and approximately 90% of the regional capital's electoral infrastructure has been destroyed. This creates unprecedented challenges for updating the data on the region’s residents and organizing the first postwar elections. Dmytro Bashtovyi, an expert from the OPORA Civil Network, spoke about this during the roundtable discussion “The New Geography of the Ukrainian Voter and Migration Trends: Challenges for the Accuracy of State Voter Registry Data,” which took place online on July 7.
Due to the ongoing security threat, residents of the Kherson region continue to migrate, with a significant portion attempting to relocate within their own region to stay closer to home but further away from the “red zone.” However, such movements are not automatically recorded by the system, creating a serious problem: currently, no branch of the State Voter Registry is operational in the region. OPORA’s nationwide surveys confirm this trend across the country—nearly 30% of Ukrainians overall and over 76% of those who relocated after February 24, 2022, live outside their place of official registration.
Although 58% of citizens are willing to update their information on their own, proactive government outreach could increase this figure to 77%. During an expert discussion, participants emphasized that authorities need to begin developing a communication strategy now so that voters can fully exercise their rights in the future.
“The situation with the State Voter Registry, in the Kherson region, remains challenging, as the offices are not yet operational and new data cannot physically be entered. When operations resume, specialists will face an unprecedented volume of unprocessed information regarding address changes, reaching the age of majority, and other demographic changes. That is why we urge voters not to wait for the official start of the election, but to check their information right now. This will reveal the true scale of the problem and help authorities adapt their procedures,” emphasized OPORA analyst Dmytro Bashtovyi.
Mykola Homaniuk, head of the Kherson branch of the Association of Sociologists of Ukraine, stressed that the issue of voter registries must be addressed at the macro level: “I was part of a working group that developed a strategy for the Kherson region, and the issue of updating the voter registry was not addressed at all. We need to propose a regulation to the relevant ministry so that updating the registries becomes an official part of the community development methodology and remains under constant oversight by the authorities.”
OPORA conducted a large-scale study of migration processes and their impact on the accuracy of the State Voter Registry (SVR). The study combined a nationwide sociological survey of the Ukrainian population with surveys of Ukrainians living in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Poland. The study’s findings indicate a significant shift in the geography of the Ukrainian electorate since the start of the full-scale war.
According to OPORA’s nationwide study, 25% of Ukraine’s adult population (one in four) has experienced displacement—whether forced or voluntary. For 72% of them, their most recent move took place after February 24, 2022. At the same time, 28.5% (nearly one-third) of citizens live outside their place of registration. In Kyiv, this figure reaches 44%, and among people with experience of displacement, it is 57%. At the same time, 81% of displaced citizens consider their current place of residence to be their primary one.
Most Ukrainians are willing to update their information to participate in elections. Specifically, 58% of respondents are willing to update their information in the State Voter Registry on their own. If they receive a proactive notification or call to action from the government, this figure rises to 70%.
Citizens cite digital services as the most convenient way to update their information—77% chose the “Diia” app. At the same time, awareness of electoral procedures remains limited. For example, only 55% of citizens reported being aware of the State Voter Registry.
A similar trend is observed among Ukrainians living abroad. A survey conducted by OPORA among Ukrainians in Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic showed that 75% of respondents left the country after the full-scale invasion began. Only 38% are considering returning after martial law ends, while 48% view such a prospect as unlikely or have no plans to return.
Among Ukrainians abroad, 74% stated they are ready to participate in future elections. Still, only 16% are registered with the consulate, which would ensure they are included on the voter rolls in accordance with current procedures. A significant portion of respondents are unfamiliar with the procedures for voting abroad and changing their voting address. Specifically, 49% of Ukrainians abroad are ready to update their voting address on their own, and after receiving additional information from the government, this figure rises to 61%. At the same time, a large percentage of people (over 80%) use the “Diia” app. Most chose it as the most convenient way to update their voting address.
Experts from the OPORA Civil Network are urging Ukrainians to check their information in the State Voter Registry right now. Specifically for this purpose, OPORA has launched the #ПеревірCебеУРеєстрі campaign and created a dedicated page on its website with step-by-step instructions, answers to frequently asked questions, and recommendations on how to verify your information in the State Voter Registry and what to do if it needs correction. All information is available at: https://oporaua.org/perevir-drv
The project is being implemented by the OPORA Civic Network with financial support from the German Foreign Ministry.
