The Electoral Code of Ukraine took effect on January 1, 2020.

The Electoral Code of Ukraine took effect on January 1, 2020, apart from several subparagraphs of the transitional provisions, one of which is introduced on July 1, 2020. The provisions relating to the exercise of the powers of the administrative bodies and the public register of voters by the regional and territorial election commissions of the Central Election Commission (CEC) come into force from the day following the day the CEC decides to begin work of its regional and territorial election commissions.

The law provides for a proportional electoral system with open regional lists. According to the document, voters at the elections will vote not only for a party, but for a specific candidate on the party list.

"The elections of members of parliament of Ukraine are held on the basis of a proportional system according to the unified lists of candidates for deputies in the national constituency, from which regional election lists of candidates for deputies from parties are formed," the law says.

The Code guarantees that the first nine candidates on the party list get into parliament if the party has overcome the election threshold for political parties of 5%.

When forming party lists, political forces must observe a gender balance: in each of the five candidates there must be at least two people of each gender.

"When compiling national and regional electoral lists, the party must ensure the presence of men and women (at least two candidates of each gender) in every five positions (positions from one to five, sixth to tenth, etc.) of each electoral list," it is said in the Code.

According to the law, the regular parliamentary elections are held on the last Sunday of October of the fifth year of authority of the parliament. Snap parliamentary elections are held on the last Sunday of the sixty-day period after the publication of the presidential decree on the early termination of powers of the Verkhovna Rada.

According to the Code, the election of the President of Ukraine can be regular, snap and repeated.

The regular presidential election is held at the end of the constitutional term of office of the President of Ukraine. Snap election is held after the adoption of the relevant resolution of the Verkhovna Rada. Among the reasons for the re-election are not the election of any of the two candidates included in the ballot; withdrawal of all candidates included in the ballot; recognition of the elections as invalid, and other reasons.

The regular presidential election is held on the last Sunday of March of the fifth year of the presidency and the Verkhovna Rada schedules it.

Snap and repeated presidential elections are held on the last Sunday of the ninety-day term from the date of their scheduling.

According to the Electoral Code, the same person cannot be president of Ukraine for more than two consecutive terms. "A person who has been twice elected to the post of president of Ukraine cannot be nominated as a candidate for this position," it is said in the Electoral Code.

A person who powers as president are prematurely terminated on the grounds established by the Constitution cannot be nominated as a candidate for the presidency in snap election scheduled in connection with the said termination of powers.

The law also stipulates that citizens or subjects of a state recognized by the Verkhovna Rada as an aggressor or an occupying state cannot be official election observers.

National elections, both presidential and parliamentary, can be held simultaneously with a local referendum, snap, repeat, midterm, first and local by-elections.