Biometric identification of voters is again in the public focus after the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina received three appeals on the decision on the selection of the most favorable bidder for the procurement of equipment intended for voter identification and scanning of ballots at polling stations.
The Central Election Commission of BiH reminds that on November 14, 2025, through the Public Procurement Portal of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it announced a call for public procurement of a system for biometric identification of voters and scanning of ballots. It is a project that is considered one of the most important steps in the process of introducing new technologies into the electoral system of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
By decision of March 19, 2026, the contract for the procurement of equipment was awarded to a group of bidders consisting of “Smartmatic BH” doo as the group holder, “Smartmatic International Holding” BV from Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and “DSC” Agency for the Protection of People and Property.
Three appeals followed this decision. The first one was invested by the Group of Bidders “Planet Soft” doo Banja Luka, the second by the company Artco Group doo, and the third by the company Provis doo Bijeljina. The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina states that the statement on the appeal of the “Planet Soft” group was sent by courier to the Office for Review of Appeals on April 3, 2026, while the statement on the appeal of the Artco Group company was submitted on April 6, 2026.
In addition to both statements, the Office for Review of Appeals was also sent a request for urgent resolution of appeals, in accordance with Article 111, Paragraph 6 of the Law on Public Procurement. With this, the CEC of BiH is trying to speed up the procedure in a case that has already attracted a lot of public attention, especially because of the importance that biometric voter identification can have for future election processes.
When it comes to the complaint of the company Provis doo Bijeljina, the CEC states that it was received today, and that the Commission will subsequently comment on its timeliness. This practically means that it is not yet known whether this appeal will also be formally accepted in the further procedure.
This public procurement is part of a multi-year project to introduce specific election technologies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The CEC points out that the goal of the project is to ensure a safer, more transparent and more efficient election process, and it is precisely through the system for biometric identification of voters and scanning of ballots that efforts are being made to reduce the scope for irregularities at the polling stations. RTV Slon.
