Local elections in 2025 will not be held due to martial law

A polling station in Ukraine. Illustrative photo: ukrinform.ua

The Central Election Commission of Ukraine has announced that the regular local elections scheduled for the last Sunday of October 2025 will not take place due to the extension of martial law.

In a statement, the CEC noted that under the current electoral law, local elections are held simultaneously throughout Ukraine on the last Sunday of October of the fifth year of the term of office of local councils and mayors. Thus, this year the country would have to elect local authorities again.

The date of such elections is set by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine no later than 90 days before the election day.

However, due to the imposition of martial law in the context of full-scale aggression by the Russian Federation, no elections are currently being organised or held in Ukraine.

In this regard, the Verkhovna Rada has not passed a decision to hold local elections, and the CEC, in turn, has not formed election commissions to organise the voting process.

«If it were not for the Russian aggression and the terrible war unleashed against Ukraine by the Russians, we would now be entering the period of preparation and organisation of the next local elections. However, no elections are organised or held during martial law,» explained Commission member Serhii Postivyi.

Earlier, the CEC said that after the end of martial law in Ukraine, elections would take place, but it would take time to restore infrastructure and adapt the electoral process.