Voters across Ukraine have cast ballots in local elections held under a new Electoral Code that decentralizes power from Kyiv to local governing bodies. The polls are considered the most consequential local elections in Ukraine's modern history, with all local officials up for replacement and the new local governments being granted expanded financial and political independence from the central government.
The reforms have been lauded as a significant step away from the top-down administration the country inherited from the Soviet Union that has remained largely unchanged over three decades of independence. The vote has also been seen as an important test for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was elected in a landslide in early 2019, and his Servant of the People party.
Recent public opinion polls show that about 70 percent of Ukrainians believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, while Zelenskiy’s personal approval rating has dipped below 50 percent.
