If you’re looking at a calendar and trying to figure out why Ukraine’s political cycle seems to have frozen in time, you aren’t alone. It’s been a long road since anyone in Kyiv or Odesa actually walked into a polling station. Honestly, the world has changed so much since then that the last time Ukrainians voted, the idea of a full-scale invasion felt like a dark, distant "what-if" rather than a daily reality.
The short answer: 2019 was the year everything changed
Basically, the last election in Ukraine took place in 2019. It wasn’t just one vote, though; it was a double-header that completely reshaped the country’s leadership.
First came the Presidential election in the spring. Volodymyr Zelenskyy—who most people back then knew as a comedian and TV star—won a landslide victory in the second round on April 21, 2019. He took a massive 73.2% of the vote, defeating the incumbent Petro Poroshenko.
Then, just a few months later on July 21, 2019, Ukraine held its last parliamentary elections. Zelenskyy’s newly formed party, "Servant of the People," did something no party had ever done in independent Ukraine: they won an absolute majority. They swept up 254 out of 450 seats in the Verkhovna Rada (the parliament).
It was a total reset. New faces. New energy. Little did they know that the five-year term they were embarking on would be interrupted by the largest European conflict since World War II.
Why hasn't there been an election since?
You've probably noticed that we're well past the five-year mark. Under normal circumstances, a presidential vote should have happened in March 2024. The parliamentary vote was technically due in late 2023.
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So, what gives?
It’s not just a political choice; it’s a legal one. Ukraine is currently under martial law, which has been extended in 90-day increments since February 24, 2022. As of early 2026, it’s still in effect.
- The Constitution: Article 83 of the Ukrainian Constitution is pretty clear—if the parliament’s term expires during martial law, it’s automatically extended until a new one can be elected after the war.
- The Law on Martial Law: There’s a specific statute (Article 19) that explicitly bans national elections while the country is under this state of emergency.
- Logistics: Think about the millions of refugees scattered across Europe. Or the soldiers in the trenches. How do you set up a ballot box in a city under active shelling? You kinda can't.
The 2026 Reality: Is a vote finally coming?
As we move through 2026, the conversation has shifted. There’s a lot of pressure, both internal and external, to figure out a "way forward."
Recently, in January 2026, Zelenskyy mentioned that a referendum or even an election could be on the table, but it’s tied to a very specific set of conditions. He’s been talking about a "20-point plan" and needs security guarantees from partners like the U.S. and Europe.
There's a lot of debate about the "legitimacy" of a government staying in power past its original mandate. Moscow loves to use this as a talking point to claim Zelenskyy is a "usurper," but inside Ukraine, the sentiment is different. Polls from early 2026 show that while people are exhausted, only about 10% of Ukrainians think an election should happen before the war ends. Most people (around 59%) believe you have to wait for a real peace.
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The major hurdles right now
It’s not just about "wanting" to vote. There are some massive practical roadblocks that expert groups like the German Marshall Fund have pointed out:
- Safety: Polling stations are "soft targets." A line of people waiting to vote is a target for a drone or missile strike.
- The Soldier Vote: There are hundreds of thousands of men and women on the front lines. Disenfranchising the very people defending the country would be a political disaster.
- The Refugee Crisis: With over 6 million people abroad, Ukraine’s current consular system isn't built to handle that many voters.
- The Registry: The national voter list is out of date. People have moved, died, or are living in occupied territories where Kyiv has no control.
What most people get wrong about Ukraine’s democracy
Some critics say the lack of an election means democracy is dead in Ukraine. That's a bit of a stretch.
If you look at the Rada (the parliament), it’s still a noisy, pluralistic place. Opposition figures like Petro Poroshenko and Yulia Tymoshenko are still very active. In fact, even Poroshenko—who is Zelenskyy’s biggest rival—has said that holding an election right now would "play into Putin’s hands" by dividing the country.
The consensus among almost all political parties in the Rada is that they won't hold a vote until martial law is lifted. They actually signed a memorandum agreeing to this. It’s a rare moment of unity in a normally fractious political landscape.
Looking ahead: The 100-day plan?
There have been whispers about a "100-day" window. Some peace proposals floating around international circles in late 2025 and early 2026 suggest that once a ceasefire is signed, Ukraine should move to elections within 100 days.
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But even that is optimistic. Most election experts say you need at least six months of "quiet" to update the registries, let candidates campaign fairly, and ensure the infrastructure is safe.
Actionable insights for following Ukrainian politics:
If you’re trying to keep track of when the next vote might actually happen, stop looking at the calendar and start looking at these three indicators:
- The Martial Law Extensions: These happen every 90 days. If the government ever decides not to renew it, that is the starting gun for an election cycle.
- The "Diia" App Updates: The government is working on digital voting through their state app, Diia. If they announce a "test run" for a local referendum or minor vote, it’s a sign they are prepping for the big one.
- Central Election Commission (CEC) Funding: Watch the national budget. If you see a massive spike in funding for the CEC, it means the logistics are finally being put in place behind the scenes.
Ukraine's last election in 2019 feels like a lifetime ago. While the 2024 dates have come and gone, the country is essentially in a state of "constitutional preservation." For now, the focus remains on survival, but the groundwork for the first post-war election is quietly being laid in the halls of the Rada.
To stay updated, you should monitor official announcements from the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada's website and cross-reference them with reports from the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe), which will be the primary body responsible for observing and validating any future vote.