Sarajevo, 03 October 2024 - The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina has announced the continuation of its successful cooperation with UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, with the aim promoting participation of youth in policy processes. To achieve this, we have jointly developed a Viber chatbot for the 2024 Local Elections. This innovative tool, which was previously used during the 2020 Local Elections and the 2022 General Elections, proved to be an efficient source of information for voters, providing them with quick and easy access to key information on the electoral process. The main objective extends beyond the Chatbot itself; it seeks to empower youth, especially those who are voting for the first time, and to encourage their active participation in decision-making.

“Viber chatbot proved to be a very useful tool through which voters could receive timely and accurate information about the elections. Considering positive experiences from previous election cycles, we believe that this tool is crucial for improving the transparency and information of citizens in the election process”, believes Dr. Irena Hadžiabdić, President of the BiH Central Election Commission.
Viber chatbot aims to provide young voters, especially first-time voters in BiH with all the necessary information and instructions related to the upcoming Local Elections. Additionally, the chatbot provides information on how citizens can check if they are registered in the Electoral Roll. It also provides detailed instructions on the process and procedure of correct voting, as well as information on all candidates in all municipalities in BiH.

“As part of our global mission to support young people's full participation in their communities, UNFPA encourages all young people to exercise their right to vote and to contribute to building a society that recognizes and uses their knowledge and skills.  A recent UNFPA survey of young people living in BiH showed that 78% thought they were likely to vote.  The chatbot tool jointly developed by CIK and UNFPA makes information about how to participate in local elections more accessible to younger voters and supports their participation in democratic processes”, said the UNFPA Representative for BiH, Justine Coulson.

Also, the chatbot provides detailed information on legitimate addresses where possible electoral irregularities can be reported, and citizens can obtain information on whether they are registered in the Electoral Roll. It also provides detailed instructions on the process and procedure of correct voting and the information on all candidates.

This simple tool is available by entering the keyword 'Izbori' in the Viber search. If the Chatbot has been used before, it is recommended that the previous chat be deleted before re-entering via search to ensure access to the latest information.