As Ukraine’s war enters its fourth year, with Russian forces grinding forward in the east and diplomatic talks stalled, a quieter crisis is brewing at home. Public frustration is mounting – not just over the bombardments, but over the stagnation in governance. Protests erupted in July against efforts to weaken anti-corruption bodies, forcing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to backtrack. That episode was a warning: without elections, accountability erodes and resentment festers. Ukraine has not held a vote since 2020, marking the longest democratic freeze in its post-Soviet history. It is time to change that. Wartime elections, powered by digital tools, are not just feasible – they are essential to preserve legitimacy and national unity.
The argument against elections rests on Ukraine’s constitution, which prohibits them under martial law, and on practical fears of safety and fairness. Zelenskyy has echoed this, likening elections during war to voting under air raids. Martial law was extended again in August – its 15th renewal – through November 2025. But these concerns, while real, overlook Ukraine’s ingenuity. If the country can innovate on the battlefield with drones and cyber defenses, why not in the ballot box?
Consider the Diia app, Ukraine’s digital government platform, already used by millions for everything from passports to pensions. It could be adapted for secure online voting, minimizing risks from physical polling stations. Refugees abroad – many in Poland and Germany – could vote via embassies or digital proxies. Soldiers on the front lines? Postal ballots or app-based systems, modeled on the mail-in voting surge during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ukraine’s shift to a party-list system in 2020 simplifies things further, eliminating the need for geographic districts in occupied areas. Fraud concerns? Blockchain verification could make digital voting cleaner than the paper-ballot rigging that plagued earlier elections in the east and south.
This is not about rushing into chaos. It is about channeling public anger constructively. Recent polls show exhaustion with the war and growing disillusionment with Zelenskyy – not outright rejection, but a sense of “we’ve had enough.” Without an electoral outlet, that could spill into division. The July protests were a warning. But what if the war lasts another five years? Nine years without elections would invite comparisons to authoritarianism, undermining the very freedom Ukraine fights for. Even critics abroad – including President Trump – have questioned Ukraine’s suspended votes, echoing Russian propaganda. Holding elections would silence that narrative and renew legitimacy for whatever leadership emerges.
History offers precedent. Abraham Lincoln insisted on the 1864 election during the U.S. Civil War, arguing that suspending it would mean the Union had already lost. India held votes amid insurgencies in Kashmir. Estonia, no stranger to Russian pressure, pioneered e-voting two decades ago. Ukraine could join that club, setting a precedent for democracies under siege. With Western partners pushing for reforms tied to EU accession, now is the moment to prove resilience extends beyond the trenches.
Of course, risks remain. Russian interference, from cyberattacks to bombings, is a constant threat. But Ukraine has bolstered its digital defenses since 2014, and international observers could monitor the process. The constitution? Amend it temporarily, as was done for other wartime measures. Delaying indefinitely plays into Moscow’s hands, eroding trust and sapping morale. Elections are a question of when, not if, to avoid internal rupture. Recent violence – like the shooting of a pro-Maidan politician in Lviv – underscores the instability brewing without outlets for change.
What if Ukraine does not act? The costs could be dire. Public divisions deepen. International support wavers. A fragmented society might lose the will to resist, handing Putin a victory he cannot win militarily. Pioneering wartime elections would reaffirm Ukraine’s democratic spirit, inspire allies, and deter foes. It would show that even in crossfire, the people can have a say.
Zelenskyy and his team have shown remarkable adaptability. Now, they must harness that for the home front. Call the elections. Digitize them. Let the voters decide. The alternative—endless delay – risks turning a war for sovereignty into a slow surrender of democracy itself. Ukraine deserves better.
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