Audit Reveals Half-Million Incomplete Voter Records Before Serbia's October 25 Vote

Serbia heads to the polls on October 25 with a voter roll that contains widespread data gaps. The upcoming parliamentary election pits the ruling coalition against a student-led opposition movement, a contest that analysts describe as the first genuinely uncertain in over a decade.

Aleksandar Vucic, who has held political power for fourteen years, resigned as president in late September. He is now running for prime minister, a post he previously occupied from 2014 to 2017. His main challenger is a nonpartisan list headed by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic, which the movement states does not guarantee him the premiership if the group wins.

An investigation by RFE/RL's Balkan Service identified approximately 500,000 registered individuals who lack complete street addresses. Many records are missing specific street names or house numbers. The review also found hundreds of voters listed at public facilities, such as social welfare centers, and at residential addresses that could not logically hold so many people.

These data irregularities follow international observers' reports of fraud in the 2023 election. Those reports included the transportation of voters from neighboring Bosnia-Hercegovina and instances of voter intimidation. The current government claims it implemented all recommendations from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe regarding the 2023 vote. However, an interim OSCE report contradicted that assertion.

The OSCE has deployed 300 observers to monitor the process. RFE/RL investigations noted that the number of eligible voters in Bosnia and Kosovo increased ahead of the election. 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 that they faced pressure to vote for the ruling party.

The election arrives just days before the second anniversary of the Novi Sad tragedy. On November 1, 2024, a railway station canopy collapsed, killing sixteen people. The disaster triggered nationwide protests fueled by corruption allegations at a construction site led by Chinese businesses. Police met the demonstrations with force and arrests, including the alleged use of a sonic weapon on March 15, 2025.

Political tensions have risen amid allegations of illegal surveillance. A statement from the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on October 21 cited reports of monitoring opposition members. Research by the Serbian nonprofit SHARE and Toronto University researchers alleged that Pegasus software, which is illegal in Serbia, was used in at least sixteen cases in 2026. Government officials have denied targeting political rivals.

Vladimir Bilcik, a former European Parliament rapporteur, described the outcome as deeply divided between ruling party supporters and the student movement. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed personal support for Vucic. Republican Congressman Joe Wilson stated that Russia is deploying resources to monitor and disrupt Serbian citizens. Serbia has not opened a new EU accession chapter since late 2021, a stall attributed to democratic backsliding and unresolved relations with Kosovo.