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

Approximately 500,000 people registered to vote in Serbia lack complete residential addresses. A review of the electoral records by RFE/RL found that many entries are missing specific street names or house numbers. This defect affects a large portion of the electorate ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 25, 2026.

The incomplete data has raised questions about the accuracy of the voter roll. Investigators also identified hundreds of individuals listed at public facilities such as social welfare centers. Other records show voters assigned to residential addresses that could not logically hold that many people. These findings mirror irregularities documented during the 2023 election. International observers reported that voters were transported from neighboring Bosnia-Hercegovina and subjected to intimidation during that earlier vote.

Aleksandar Vucic, who has led Serbian politics for fourteen years, is running for prime minister in this contest. He resigned from the presidency in late September to avoid a third term in that office. The role he now seeks is one he previously held from 2014 to 2017. His primary challenger is a student movement that emerged from recent nationwide protests. The group does not have formal leaders and fields a list of nonpartisan candidates, including university professors.

The campaign is taking place against the backdrop of the Novi Sad tragedy. On November 1, 2024, a 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 the demonstrations. A specific incident on March 15, 2025, saw authorities deploy a sonic weapon against peaceful protesters.

Polling data indicates the electorate is split between the ruling coalition and the student opposition. 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. The student list is headed by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic. The movement has stated that his position on the list does not guarantee him the premiership if they win.

The government claims it has implemented all recommendations from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. However, an interim report from the OSCE contradicted this assertion. The body has deployed 300 observers to Serbia for the upcoming vote. RFE/RL also noted an increase in eligible voters from Bosnia and Kosovo. These regions are key sources of support for Vucic's Progressive Party among ethnic Serbs. Four employees of Serbia-funded institutions in Kosovo said they faced pressure to vote for the ruling party.

Allegations of illegal surveillance have added to the tension surrounding the election. A statement from the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on October 21 cited reports of illegal monitoring of opposition members. Research by the Serbian nonprofit SHARE and Toronto University researchers found at least sixteen cases of the Pegasus surveillance software being used in 2026. The software is illegal in Serbia. Government officials have denied targeting their political rivals.

International actors are closely watching the process. The Freedom House report confirmed a decline in freedoms in Serbia over the past decade. Some US lawmakers warned that Moscow may play an active role in the election. The European Parliament raised concerns about Russian influence operations. Republican Congressman Joe Wilson said Russia is deploying resources to monitor and disrupt Serbian citizens and the student movement. Russian President Vladimir Putin has personally expressed support for Vucic.

The parties have outlined their foreign policy stances during the campaign. Vucic pledged to maintain his 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 opposed sanctions. Both sides support 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.