38. Is there a ban on vote buying?

It is forbidden to conduct election campaign, which is accompanied by giving the voters money or providing free of charge or on preferential terms goods, services, works, securities, credits, lotteries. Such campaigning or giving to the voters of money or providing free of charge or on preferential terms goods, services, works, securities, credits, lotteries accompanied by calls or proposals to vote or not to vote for a certain candidate, a party (organization of party) or mention of the name of the candidate, the name of the party (party organization) is considered a bribe by the voters.

Source: Article 57 para. 6, Election Code, 2019

1. Acceptance of a proposal, promise or receipt by a voter, participant of a referendum for himself/herself or for a third party of an unlawful benefit for committing or failing to perform any actions related to the direct exercise of his / her suffrage or voting right (refusal to vote, vote in polling station (referendum polling station) more than once, voting for a respective candidate in the election or refusing to vote, handing over the ballot (ballot in the referendum) to another person), regardless of actual will of a person and the results of elections - are punishable by a fine of one hundred to three hundred tax-free minimum wages, or correctional labor for a term up to two years, or restraint of liberty for the same term. 

2. Proposal, promise or providing to a voter or participant of a referendum of unlawful benefits for committing or failing to perform any actions related to the direct exercise of his or her suffrage or right to participate in the referendum (refusal to vote, vote at a polling station (polling station) ) more than once, voting for a respective candidate in elections, candidates from a political party, a local organization of a political party, or rejecting such voting, handing over the ballot to another person), - shall be punishable by restraint of liberty for a term up to three years or imprisonment for the same term with deprivation of the right to occupy certain posts or engage in certain activities for a term of one to three years.

3. Carrying out election campaigning (referendum campaigning) by providing enterprises, institutions, organizations with unlawful benefits or providing free goods (except goods containing visual names, symbols, flag of a political party whose value does not exceed the size established by law), services - shall be punishable by restriction of liberty for a term of two to four years or imprisonment for the same term with deprivation of the right to occupy certain posts or engage in certain activities for a term of one to three years.

4. The actions provided for in paragraphs 2 or 3 of this Article repeated or committed by prior agreement of a group of persons or a member of an election or referendum commission, a member of a referendum initiative group, a candidate or his / her proxy, a representative of a political party or a local political party organization, in an election commission or referendum commission authorized by a political party or local political party organization, an official election observer or referendum, - shall be punishable by imprisonment for a term of five to seven years, with deprivation of the right to hold certain posts or engage in certain activities for a term of one to three years.

Source: Article 160, Criminal Code of Ukraine, 2019