Half-Million Serbian Voters Lack Full Addresses Ahead of October 25 Ballot

Aleksandar Vucic, who has led Serbian politics for fourteen years, enters the October 25 parliamentary election with a new target: the prime minister seat. He stepped down as president in late September to avoid a third term and now aims to return to the role he held from 2014 to 2017. His main rival is a loose coalition born from student protests, a group that lacks formal leaders but has gained traction through nonpartisan candidates, including university professors and cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic.

The integrity of the vote is under intense scrutiny due to gaps in the voter register. An investigation by RFE/RL’s Balkan Service found roughly 500,000 registered voters without complete addresses, often missing street names or house numbers. The review also uncovered hundreds of names listed at social welfare centers or in homes that could not logically hold so many residents. These issues mirror irregularities reported in the 2023 election, where observers noted voters being transported from neighboring Bosnia-Hercegovina and instances of intimidation.

The timing of the election amplifies public tension. It arrives days before the second anniversary of the Novi Sad railway station disaster. On November 1, 2024, a canopy collapse killed sixteen people, sparking nationwide anger over corruption in a project led by Chinese firms. Although the government denied fault, police responded to protests with force and arrests. A severe incident on March 15, 2025, involved the alleged use of a sonic weapon against peaceful demonstrators. Vucic announced his resignation and the early vote following another round of student protests in June.

Polls indicate the electorate is deeply split between the ruling coalition and the student movement. Vladimir Bilcik, a former European Parliament rapporteur, called this the first election in over a decade with a genuinely uncertain outcome. The government claims it has fixed all issues flagged by the OSCE after the 2023 vote, but an interim report from the international body, which has deployed 300 observers to Serbia, contradicts that assertion. RFE/RL also noted an increase in eligible voters listed in Bosnia and Kosovo, regions viewed as strongholds 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, a practice documented in several Serbian municipalities as well. 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 monitoring opposition members and attempts to disrupt observation missions. Research by the Serbian nonprofit SHARE and Toronto University researchers alleged that Pegasus software, illegal in Serbia, was used in at least sixteen cases in 2026. Government officials have denied targeting rivals.

International concerns extend to foreign influence. The Freedom House report confirms a decade-long decline in freedoms in Serbia. Some US lawmakers warn that Moscow may play an active role, while the European Parliament has raised concerns about Russian operations. Republican Congressman Joe Wilson stated that Russia is deploying resources to monitor citizens and the student movement. Russian President Vladimir Putin has personally expressed support for Vucic ahead of the ballot.

Vucic has 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 focuses primarily on fighting corruption, though it also opposes sanctions and supports Belgrade’s stance of not recognizing Kosovo’s independence. Serbia’s 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.