Serbia Ties Overseas Voting to Local Time, Drawing Criticism

Serbia's election commission has implemented new rules for overseas voting that tie ballot casting hours to the country's local time, a move anticipated to draw backlash from the Serbian diaspora ahead of a significant parliamentary election.

The decision, made by the election commission, dictates that polling stations abroad must operate within Serbia's 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. voting window. This change means that Serbs in locations like Chicago will need to vote between 1 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time, and those in parts of Australia and New Zealand will be required to vote overnight.

The upcoming October 25 election was called by Serbian populist leader Aleksandar Vucic, who resigned as president on September 27, cutting short his second and final legally permitted term. Vucic aims to return to power as prime minister leading his Serbian Progressive Party.

This election follows nearly two years of sustained pressure and protests, initially sparked by a train station canopy collapse in November 2024 that resulted in 16 fatalities. The student-led movement that emerged from demanding justice for the tragedy has evolved into a political force challenging Vucic's party, which has been in power for 14 years. Vucic himself has held either the presidency or the prime ministership for the past 12 years.

Analysts predict a close race with a high turnout, potentially benefiting the student-led coalition. However, tensions remain high, with past elections in the Balkan nation reportedly marred by irregularities and violence, according to international observers.

The election commission approved 93 polling stations abroad, an increase of 12 from the previous election. Notably, nine of these stations are located in neighboring Bosnia, specifically in the entity of Republika Srpska, which has a large ethnic Serb minority and is led by Vucic's political ally, Milorad Dodik. Dodik advocates for the separation of Republika Srpska from Bosnia.

Election officials report that over 100,000 citizens have applied to vote abroad, a figure nearly triple that of the 2023 election. Sofija Mandic, a legal expert and election commission member, stated that the overseas voting changes disregarded opposition requests for additional polling stations in North America, Australia, and Europe. She suggested the new rules could disenfranchise over 26,000 voters.

Mandic also alleged that the foreign ministry was selectively choosing polling station locations based on anticipated voting patterns. Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric denied these claims, stating that decisions on polling station placement were based on criteria including voter numbers, logistics, security, space, and staffing.

David Krstic, another election commission member, highlighted the impact on specific locations, noting that Vancouver, Canada, with nearly 1,300 registered voters, has no assigned polling station. Voters in Vancouver would have to travel approximately 3,500 kilometers to reach polling stations in Toronto or Ottawa to cast their ballots.