Serbia ties overseas voting to local time, sparking backlash ahead of key election

BELGRADE — Serbia’s election commission has ruled that overseas polling stations must operate within the 7 a.m.–8 p.m. voting window in Serbia local time, rather than local time in the countries where diaspora voters live, a decision critics say could make it difficult for Serbs abroad to cast ballots in the high-stakes Oct 25 parliamentary election.

Under the decision, reported by the Associated Press, voters in Chicago — home to a large Serbian community — would have to vote between 1 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time, while Serbs in parts of Australia and New Zealand would vote overnight at polling stations typically set up in diplomatic missions and offices. The commission also approved 93 polling stations abroad. Bloomberg’s Oct 7 coverage of the contest (“Serbia Opposition Cries Foul Weeks Before Tense Early Elections”) further confirmed the opposition’s angry response to the move.

The election pits the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) of Aleksandar Vucic against the student-led movement Students Win and the pro-Western alliance European Serbia. Vucic resigned as president on Sept 27 to seek a return as prime minister, with parliament speaker Ana Brnabic serving as interim president. Analysts predict a tight race, with high turnout favouring the student ticket; international observers say past Serbian elections were marred by irregularities and violence.

The student movement grew out of nearly two years of anti-corruption protests sparked by the Nov 1, 2024 Novi Sad station canopy collapse, which killed 16 people.