Bosnians will vote on October 4, 2026, to select their government at the state, entity, and canton levels. More than 3.4 million people are eligible to participate in the elections. This year, new election technology will be implemented, including biometric voter identification and ballot scanning, which aims to enhance the speed and transparency of the voting process while still using paper ballots.
Candidates for the Bosniak representative include current Presidency member Denis Becirovic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Bakir Izetbegovic of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Semir Efendic of the Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina (Stranka za BiH), and Fahrudin Radoncic of the Union for a Better Future of BiH (SBB). Izetbegovic, the president of the SDA, is seeking a third term after losing to Becirovic in 2022.
Three candidates are competing for the Croat seat in the Presidency: Darijana Filipovic of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH), Slaven Kovacevic of the Democratic Front (DF), and Zdenko Lucic, supported by a coalition of five Croat parties. Zeljka Cvijanovic from the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) is running for re-election as the Serb member of the Presidency, facing challengers Marinko Bozovic of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) and Nebojsa Vukanovic of the List for Justice and Order.
Voters will select representatives for 14 governments and members of the three-member Presidency, which includes representatives from the Bosniak, Croat, and Serb communities. The election process is complicated by the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina into two entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, along with the Brcko District.
The Central Election Commission (CIK) has registered 75 political parties and four independent candidates for the elections. The election of the Croat member has historically impacted Bosniak-Croat relations and has been a source of political contention. Changes to the Election Law are being proposed by parties aligned with HDZ BiH to limit Bosniak influence in electing the Croat member of the Presidency, which would also necessitate constitutional amendments.
Citizens will elect representatives to the Parliamentary Assembly, which consists of two houses: the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples. In Republika Srpska, citizens directly elect the National Assembly and the entity president, while in the Federation, they elect the House of Representatives and cantonal assemblies, which then select delegates for the House of Peoples.
The elections are seen as a critical moment for the ruling coalition, which has pledged to address social and economic issues amid rising living costs. The EU granted Bosnia and Herzegovina candidate status in December 2022 and opened accession negotiations in 2024, although progress has been limited due to political blockades. Preliminary results will be released by CIK on election night, with official results expected by November 20.