Serbian voters face register flaws as Vucic seeks prime minister seat
Nearly 500,000 registered voters lack full addresses ahead of the October 25 parliamentary vote, a flaw critics say mirrors irregularities from the 2023 election.
By Jacob Leary ·
Serbia prepares for a parliamentary election on October 25 that will determine whether Aleksandar Vucic returns to the prime minister's office. Vucic has controlled the country's political direction for fourteen years. He stepped down as president in late September to avoid a third term. He now runs for the top executive role, a position he occupied from 2014 to 2017. His main challenger is a student-led opposition movement that gained momentum during nationwide protests.
Scrutiny of the voter list has intensified in recent weeks. An investigation by RFE/RL's Balkan Service found approximately 500,000 registered individuals missing complete street addresses or house numbers. The records also listed hundreds of voters at public facilities, such as social welfare centers, and at residential addresses too small to hold that many people. These findings echo concerns from the 2023 vote, when international observers documented voters being transported from Bosnia-Hercegovina and incidents of intimidation.
The timing of the election coincides with the second anniversary of the Novi Sad tragedy. On November 1, 2024, a renovated railway station canopy collapsed, killing sixteen people. The disaster sparked protests alleging corruption in the construction project, which was led by Chinese businesses. The government denied wrongdoing, but police used force and made arrests during demonstrations. On March 15, 2025, authorities allegedly used an unlawful sonic weapon against peaceful protesters. Vucic announced his resignation and called for early elections after another protest in June.
Vladimir Bilcik, a former European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia, described the upcoming vote as the first in over a decade with a genuinely uncertain outcome. Current polling shows the electorate split between Vucic's ruling coalition and the student movement. The opposition list is headed by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic. The group states that Srdanovic's position does not guarantee he will become prime minister if the movement wins.
The government claims it has implemented all recommendations from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or OSCE, after their criticism of the 2023 election. An interim report from the OSCE contradicted this claim. The organization has deployed 300 observers to Serbia. RFE/RL also noted that the number of eligible voters in Bosnia and Kosovo increased before the vote. These regions are key sources of support for Vucic's Progressive Party among ethnic Serbs.
Four employees of Serbia-funded institutions in Kosovo told RFE/RL that they faced pressure to vote for the ruling party. Similar practices were documented in several Serbian municipalities. The political environment is further strained by allegations of illegal surveillance. A statement from the US Senate's Foreign Relations Committee on October 21 cited reports of illegal monitoring of opposition members and attempts to hinder observation missions.
Research by the Serbian nonprofit SHARE and Toronto University researchers alleged that at least sixteen cases of the Pegasus surveillance software were used in 2026. The software is illegal in Serbia. The opposition blames the authorities for the spying, while government officials have denied targeting political rivals. International observers have noted a decline in freedoms over the past decade, a trend confirmed by the latest Freedom House report.
US lawmakers have warned that Moscow may play an active role in the election. The European Parliament has raised concerns about Russian influence operations. Republican Congressman Joe Wilson stated that Russia is deploying resources to monitor and disrupt Serbian citizens and the student movement. Russian President Vladimir Putin has personally expressed support for Vucic ahead of the ballot.
Vucic pledged during the campaign to maintain his foreign policy course, including his refusal to follow EU calls for sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The student movement has focused on fighting corruption and also opposed sanctions. They reiterated support for Belgrade's stance of not recognizing Kosovo's independence. Serbia's progress in EU integration has stalled, with no new accession chapter opened since late 2021. Democratic backsliding, unresolved relations with Kosovo, and the refusal to sanction Russia are cited as the main reasons for this impasse.
Source: RFE/RL
