Legal aspects of protecting the electoral rights of military personnel

Abstract

The right to vote and to be elected, enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine, is the cornerstone of the democratic structure of our state. Electoral rights serve as a guarantee of every Ukrainian citizen's participation in the functioning and development of the country, ensuring each voter's direct influence on the future direction of the state and its main institutions. According to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, as of October 2024, over one million citizens had been mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and this number continues to grow. Given the legal uncertainty surrounding the terms of discharge for conscripted citizens and the possibility of them remaining in military service for a long time even after the end of martial law, the protection of military personnel's electoral rights will be one of the key challenges for our state in the coming years. The aim of this study is to identify gaps in the legal regulation of protecting the electoral rights of military personnel and to provide recommendations for addressing them.