Serbia to Vote Monday as Audit Finds Half Million Voter Files Missing Addresses

Serbia heads into its second general election in three years with a fractured electorate and a disputed voter roll. The parliamentary vote is scheduled for Monday, October 25, and will determine whether Aleksandar Vucic returns to the prime ministership after leading the country for fourteen years.

Vucic resigned as president in late September to avoid seeking a third term. He now seeks the premiership, a role he held from 2014 to 2017. His main rival is an opposition movement that grew out of student protests, though the group has no formal party structure or single leader.

Questions about the integrity of the vote have intensified in the final days before polling. An investigation by RFE/RL’s Balkan Service found approximately 500,000 registered voters lack complete address details. Many of these records are missing street names or house numbers. The review also identified hundreds of voters listed at public locations like social welfare centers or at private homes that could not physically hold that many people.

The current dispute mirrors concerns from the 2023 election, where international observers documented irregularities. Those reports included the transport of voters from neighboring Bosnia-Hercegovina and instances of intimidation at polling stations. The government says it has implemented all recommendations from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe following that contest. However, an interim OSCE report contradicts that claim, noting that the organization has deployed 300 observers to monitor this election.

The timing of the vote is sensitive for many Serbians. It falls just days before the second anniversary of the Novi Sad tragedy. On November 1, 2024, a renovated canopy at the city’s railway station collapsed, killing sixteen people. The disaster sparked nationwide protests over corruption at the construction site, which was a project led by Chinese businesses. Police used force and made arrests during the demonstrations. On March 15, 2025, authorities allegedly deployed a sonic weapon against peaceful protesters. Vucic announced his resignation and the early elections following another student protest in June.

Polling indicates the electorate is split evenly between supporters of the ruling coalition and the student movement. Vladimir Bilcik, a former European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia, called this the first election in over a decade with a genuinely uncertain outcome. The opposition candidate list is headed by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic. The movement has stated that his position on the list does not guarantee the premiership if they win.

Investigations have also highlighted regional voting patterns. The number of eligible voters in Bosnia and Kosovo increased ahead of the vote. These regions are considered key sources of support for Vucic’s Progressive Party among ethnic Serbs. Four employees of Serbia-funded institutions in Kosovo told RFE/RL they faced pressure to vote for the ruling party. Similar practices have been documented in several municipalities within Serbia.

The political climate is further complicated 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. 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. Pegasus is illegal in Serbia. Government officials have denied targeting political rivals, while the opposition blames the authorities for the spying.

International dynamics add another layer of complexity. Russian President Vladimir Putin has personally expressed support for Vucic ahead of the election. European Parliament officials have 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. During the campaign, Vucic pledged 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 has also reiterated support for Belgrade’s stance of not recognizing Kosovo’s independence.