Over 200 young people – students and employees of enterprises – gathered for the "Meaningful Encounter" with Igor Karpenko as part of a new educational project at the Vitebsk Concert Hall. Many of them voted for the first time in the January 2025 Presidential election.

Welcoming the youth, the Chairperson of the Central Election Commission noted the high turnout among this category of voters in the recent electoral campaign: 96% of those registered on the lists came to the polling stations.

Following a comprehensive electoral cycle that included a referendum, the Unified Voting Day, and the Presidential election, the Central Election Commission always analyzes the activities of precinct commissions and organizers. Such meetings with young people are not only part of the CEC's educational activities but also an opportunity to hear firsthand the opinion of the younger generation on the current electoral system, and to gather their initiatives and proposals.

– It is important for us to maintain the thread connecting generations, which cements and unites Belarusian society. Policy must be built in such a way that young people are involved in public, socially significant projects, in the development of the economy, culture, and other spheres. Today's meeting, on the one hand, is informal, and on the other hand, extremely relevant for us. We often observe examples where, to destabilize the state, foreign influence is exerted on the electoral system. The main lever of influence, as a rule, is young people. It is important for us to involve young citizens in the socio-political processes of Belarus so that they understand how the electoral system functions and form a high level of trust in it.

The young people asked Igor Karpenko about the digitalization of the election process, the implementation of various services, including those that allow for electronic voting. The head of the CEC said that he does not rule out such a possibility, but first and foremost focused on services that will facilitate the work of organizers – the creation of a voter register, as well as software that automates the process of checking and verifying signatures in support of candidates.

The young people asked Igor Karpenko what inspires and motivates him, and some of them asked for advice for professional growth.

Maksim Malinets, a social studies teacher from Vitebsk School No. 33, did not leave the meeting empty-handed. The young man decided to ask what grade the Chairman of the CEC would give himself as Minister of Education and whether he was satisfied with the quality of the current education system.

By the way, the head of the CEC has a pedagogical education, and from 2016 to 2021 he held the post of minister.

For the best question, Igor Karpenko gave the young man the book "Symbols of Sovereign Belarus".

– I did not expect such a turn of events. I simply wanted to inquire, as a fellow educator, about the current challenges facing the education system and to gain his professional perspective. As a result, I received not only a boost of positivity and motivation from our conversation but also a pleasant gift.