"You Have the Right to Vote. Use It." campaign launched to support more informed and equal participation in the elections

The campaign "You Have the Right to Vote. Use It.", which aims to ensure that voters — particularly young people, women and people from marginalized groups — receive clear, accessible and reliable information in good time for the 2026 General Elections, begins on 16 August. The campaign forms part of the joint programme "Gender Equality Accelerator" and is being implemented in cooperation with the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The campaign focuses on four areas where additional support can make a difference: providing clear and accessible information to young people, especially first-time voters; familiarising the public with specific election technologies, including biometric devices for voter identification and authentication as well as optical scanners; supporting women, particularly in rural areas and in the Roma community; and supporting persons with disabilities.

"Our cooperation with UNFPA to date on informing young voters has proven highly valuable. A gender-responsive approach to voter education is essential to citizens' trust in the electoral process as a whole," said Jovan Kalaba, President of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has made progress in strengthening the legal framework for gender equality, but access to voter education is not always equal for everyone — particularly for young women, rural populations, persons with disabilities and members of the Roma community. At the same time, UNFPA's "Demographic Future" survey points to low levels of trust among young people in institutional support: only 8 per cent believe that the authorities provide genuine support to young people, indicating a need to strengthen confidence in institutions and in the electoral process.

"Free and informed participation is essential to an inclusive and credible electoral process. Guided by the United Nations’ commitment to leave no one behind, the campaign will help ensure that all voters have access to the clear and accessible information they need, including about new electoral technologies. Every voter should be able to exercise their right independently, confidently and free from pressure; and every vote should reflect a free and informed choice," said Arnhild Spence, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Cooperation between UNFPA and the Central Election Commission in this area dates back to 2020, when a Viber chatbot was developed to inform young voters ahead of that year's Local Elections. The tool was used again for the 2022 General Elections and updated for the 2024 Local Elections, consistently focusing on informing young people, especially those voting for the first time. The 2026 campaign represents a significant expansion of that cooperation — for the first time in the form of a comprehensive digital campaign, and now with an added focus on gender equality and marginalized groups.

This activity is part of the Joint Programme Gender Equality Accelerator, implemented by United Nations agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina - UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF - with financial support from the European Union and the Governments of Denmark and Sweden, in cooperation with the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Center for Equity and Equality between Women and Men of Republika Srpska and the Gender Center of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.