Voter turnout surpasses previous levels
Voters in Serbia drive a record high turnout in the parliamentary election on Sunday. They weigh a challenge to President Aleksandar Vucic’s decade-long grip on power. CRTA reported turnout reached 41.1% by 1 p.m., whereas 26.6% of voters participated by the same time in the December 2023 election. The Republican Election Commission stated that 34.55% of registered voters cast ballots by noon, which exceeds the 21.33% recorded at that point in 2023.
| Monitoring Entity | Turnout at 11 a.m. / Noon / 1 p.m. | Previous Election Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| CRTA | 41.1% at 1 p.m. | 26.6% in December 2023 |
| Republican Election Commission | 34.55% at noon | 21.33% in 2023 |
| CeSID and Ipsos | 27.3% at 11 a.m. | 15.1% in previous election |
Pollsters CeSID and Ipsos reported 27.3% turnout by 11 a.m., which is nearly double the 15.1% recorded during the previous election. The unusually high participation follows nearly two years of student-led protests against the government of President Aleksandar Vucic, which began after a deadly railway station canopy collapse in the northern city of Novi Sad in November 2024 killed 16 people. The opposition list, Students Are Winning, seeks to convert this movement into an electoral challenge to the SNS, which has dominated Serbian politics since 2012 and maintains control over much of the media. This election determines the composition of the 250-seat parliament.
Monitors record multiple voting breaches
Election monitors reported more than 120 irregularities at polling stations by 11 a.m. on Sunday. CRTA recorded more than 120 incidents across a sample of 750 polling stations. These included voters photographing ballots, group voting, and voting outside designated booths. The student-backed opposition list, Students Are Winning, reported duplicate voter lists at several cafes in the southern city of Nis and a dispute in Novi Sad regarding duplicate lists. In the village of Pavlovci, two journalists were reportedly attacked while trying to film events, according to local media.
The Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office filed a criminal complaint in Pancevo against two individuals for suspected violations of ballot secrecy and coercion. CRTA also reported cases of voters missing from electoral rolls, incorrect signatures in voting records, and suspected irregularities involving voter registrations at certain addresses. Opposition activists and other groups raised suspicions of organized voting and possible vote-buying in separate incidents. BIRN reported that public-sector employees faced pressure to support the SNS, which critics say uses state resources and patronage networks to maintain its position. These reports include allegations that workers had to provide proof of their voting slips. Vucic, who resigned as president in September to lead the SNS-led United Serbia list, said after casting his ballot, "If we lose we will acknowledge the will of the electorate, if we win no one will take it (from us)." OSCE observers remain across Serbia while the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights plans to publish preliminary findings on Monday.
