---
title: "CEC of Ukraine proposes switching to voter identification by tax number"
description: "CEC Deputy Head Sergiy Dubovyk proposed replacing voter identification by birth date with a tax number, uniting registers and ensuring free address changes. The initiative was voiced at the OPORA forum."
date: 2026-11-10T11:00:05.928Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/cec-ukraine-voter-identification-tax-number
tags: [ukraine, cec, voter-identification, tax-number, elections, opora, voter-register]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# CEC of Ukraine proposes switching to voter identification by tax number

![A voter drops a ballot paper into a transparent ballot box at a polling station](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/10/tsik-ukrainy-identifikatsiya-izbirateley-nalogovyy-nomer/tsik-ukrainy-identifikatsiya-izbirateley-nalogovyy-nomer-1.webp)

## Key Points

- The CEC of Ukraine proposed switching from voter identification by date and place of birth to a tax number
- The transition will integrate the voter register with the tax register and IDP register into a unified information model
- CEC Deputy Head Dubovyk called for introducing a permanent opportunity to change voting addresses without restrictions
- The initiative was voiced against the backdrop of Zelenskyy's statements about potential winter elections and online voting

Sergiy Dubovyk, Deputy Head of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine, has initiated a change in the basic mechanism for voter identification. According to him, the plan is to transition from the current model, where a citizen is identified by their date and place of birth, to identification using an individual tax number. The statement was made at a forum organized by the OPORA Civil Network titled "The Legitimacy of Post-War Elections Begins with the Voter Register," with RBC-Ukraine acting as the information partner.

### A unified information model instead of fragmented registers

According to Dubovyk's assessment, the transition to the tax number will be a key stage that will integrate the voter register with all other state registers—primarily the tax register and the register of internally displaced persons (IDPs). The commission intends the result to be a unified information model: a citizen identification network linked either to a tax number or an identity document number. Such an approach, the CEC deputy head noted, will eliminate duplication and contradictions between databases currently maintained by separate agencies.

### Active registration abroad and free address changing

A separate section of Dubovyk's speech was devoted to voters currently outside Ukraine. He emphasized that active voter registration abroad, as well as the introduction of a permanent opportunity to change one's voting address, is critically important for the country under current conditions. At the same time, he outlined a single limitation: on the eve of elections, once the printing volumes and logistics for delivering ballot papers have been determined, the address becomes fixed. At any other time, a citizen should have the free ability to change their voting address, both inside the country and abroad.

### "Overcoming the conflict with conservatism"

Dubovyk explicitly stated that Ukraine needs to "overcome this conflict with conservatism" and encourage lawmakers to pursue reform. He drew a parallel: if a person can change their official registration anywhere and at any time, the voting address should follow the same principle. Without relevant legislative changes, in his view, it is impossible to ensure either the legitimacy of future elections or adequate accounting of the displaced population.

### Context: timing and format of future elections

The speech took place against the backdrop of public statements by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that elections in Ukraine could take place during the winter period. He named the achievement of a ceasefire agreement with Russia brokered by the US as a necessary condition for holding them. Zelenskyy also did not rule out the possibility of holding elections in an online format, which would require the Verkhovna Rada to develop an appropriate legislative mechanism. The CEC initiative to switch to a tax number in this context looks like part of broader preparations for voting infrastructure regarding scenarios not yet enshrined in law.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [В ЦИК предлагают изменить идентификацию избирателей](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/tsvk-proponuyut-zminiti-identifikatsiyu-vibortsiv-1794307198.html) - Primary source: direct quotes from Dubovyk at the OPORA forum, description of the tax number initiative, address changes, active registration abroad. All facts in the article match the source text.
- [ЦИК отказался от цифровой идентификации избирателей на выборах 1 ноября](https://logos-pres.md/ru/novosti/tsik-otkazalsya-ot-tsifrovoy-identifikatsii-izbirateley-na-vyborah-1-noyabrya/) - The source relates to Moldova (EVO wallet, local elections on November 1). It does not create a factual discrepancy with the Ukrainian topic and is not used in the text.

## FAQ

### What exactly did the CEC of Ukraine propose regarding voter identification?

CEC Deputy Head Sergiy Dubovyk proposed moving from identifying voters by date and place of birth to identification by individual tax number. This will allow the voter register to be integrated with the tax register and the IDP register.

### Will citizens be able to freely change their voting address?

According to Dubovyk, a citizen should have a permanent opportunity to change their voting address both inside the country and abroad. The only limitation is the period immediately before the elections, when printing and ballot delivery have already been determined.

### In what context was the initiative voiced?

The initiative was announced at the OPORA Civil Network forum "The Legitimacy of Post-War Elections Begins with the Voter Register." President Zelenskyy previously stated that elections could happen in winter under a ceasefire and did not rule out online voting.