SEC chair: Budget and time must be planned for biometric system procurement
Chair Bojan Maricic says Article 108a of the Electoral Code obliges voting through biometric terminals and the SEC will assess hardware and software options.
Bojan Maricic, chair of the State Election Commission (SEC), said the commission has informed the Government, Ministry of Finance and political parties that budget and time must be set aside to replace or update the biometric voter-identification system now that the five‑year contract with Dermalog has ended.
Maricic warned that the Electoral Code requires voting through biometric terminals and that the SEC has no legal alternative. “The law requires, article 108a that I mention, voting only through this device, that is, through biometric identification of voters and we have no other option,” he said, explaining that any election timetable must include procurement of the necessary software support and full functionality for all devices.
Independent experts to assess hardware and software
The commission has commissioned an independent IT team to analyse both the hardware and software of the existing system and will form a working group to survey the market. Based on expert assessments, the SEC will decide whether to procure only software or to proceed with a full renewal that includes replacement of the terminals.
Maricic noted that the SEC currently holds some 4,000 terminals, kept in custody with police and stored under high standards. “We are obliged to ensure a functional system under legal provisions. Of course we will do that,” he said, stressing the commission’s responsibility to maintain the devices and guarantee their operation.
The biometric terminals were first used in the country during the 2021 local elections; that programme cost the state €11.2 million. Voting with biometric devices remains a legal obligation under the Electoral Code.
Maricic also stressed that the SEC has repeatedly raised the issue in dialogue on the Electoral Code and in parliamentary briefings so that political actors take the procurement and budget implications into account when planning for any potential early or regular parliamentary elections.
Photo: press material from the event
