Any citizen of Ukraine without a criminal record can apply to be a member of precinct election commission in the Foreign electoral district, with exception to candidates and their representatives, governments officials, including staff of diplomatic missions.

However, in April 2012 Constitutional Court of Ukraine recognized this innovation unconstitutional on a basis that adding foreign polling stations to electoral districts in Kyiv impedes the full reflection of the will of voters who live in Kyiv,[doc 3] so later the Foreign electoral district was brought back to the law.

[1] As of the day of voting of 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, there were 102 polling stations in 72 countries of the World, including 5 in Germany, 4 in the United States, Poland and Italy, and 3 in Canada, Spain, Turkey and China.

The Foreign electoral district differs from usual electoral districts by its pretty low turnout (around 10-15% compared to over 50% on the territory of Ukraine, however voters in countries where there is well organized Ukrainian community show a bit higher turnout),[5][6] because of enormous areas of voting precincts which make many voters unable to get to the polling station, and even if they do, they have to stand in very long queues to vote.

Among differences there are: In 2018 the Central Election Commission, on the submission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, decided to close all Ukrainian polling stations on the territory of Russia, namely in the embassy in Moscow and in consulates in Saint-Petersburg, Rostov-na-Donu, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk.

Minister summarized the position of MFA with such a statement:[18] We believe that holding free and fair elections on the territory of aggressor state is impossible, devoid of political and legal sense, and for those deciding to participate – just dangerous.This gave rise to Russian media claiming that 2019 Ukrainian presidential election is illegitimate, with arguments that polling stations on the territory of Russia were abolished, and also that Russian observers were denied permission to observe Ukrainian elections.

[22] In both cases, they have to either send the application by mail, together with the Ukrainian passport and the original residence permit, which is deemed risky,[9] or come to the diplomatic establishment in person.

[23] For example, a Ukrainian living in Perth has to travel more than 3,000 km to the embassy in Canberra, and a plane ticket across the continent can cost $800 or more.

During the election day, huge queues appear in front of polling stations in countries where there is a significant presence of Ukrainians, such as Germany, the Czech Republic, the United States, Moldova and Estonia.

[21][10] Due to the above-mentioned problems, Ukrainians abroad are actively advocating for electronic voting, at least for foreign voters.

[10] Also, voters living abroad ask to introduce an online consular registration system[24] and allow voting by mail.

[28][29] Officials, namely the former Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, point out that the current Ukrainian legislation allows opening polling stations abroad only at embassies and consulates and at military bases, moreover, not all countries would allow opening polling stations outside diplomatic missions.

Ukrainian voters abroad can not elect majoritarian MPs, unlike many other countries, such as France, Portugal or Croatia.

Some countries, including Norway[f 7] and Australia,[f 8] allow voters who will be abroad on election day, but who will be at home shortly beforehand, to vote in advance.

[f 12] In the United Kingdom, citizens living or temporarily residing abroad are allowed to delegate someone else to vote on their behalf.

There are also countries that are not part of any foreign electoral precinct: Iceland, Albania, Bhutan, Laos, North Korea, Papua New Guinea, Haiti, many African countries, including Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Congo, DR Congo, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Uganda, Djibouti, Eritrea and Somalia, as well as the numerous Pacific and Caribbean island states.