Since the Central Election Commission (CEC) opened the registration period for voters abroad on July 23, ahead of Kosovo’s local elections on October 12, a total of 1,729 applications have been received so far, with 1,239 approved and 490 rejected, the CEC confirmed on Sunday morning.
CEC spokesperson Valmir Elezi told RTK that the main reason for rejection is missing documentation proving the applicant’s residence outside Kosovo.
“Most rejected applicants did not submit one of the required documents that verifies their foreign address, such as an ID card showing the address, a local authority certificate, rental contract, utility bill, bank or insurance document, or other proof of residence,” Elezi explained.
However, Elezi stressed that the process is not exclusive — rejected applicants may reapply as long as they meet the requirements within the registration period, which remains open until August 29.
“When an application is rejected, this is not final,” he said. “The CEC will notify applicants of the reason for rejection and they can reapply with the necessary documents, following the CEC’s guidelines, during the registration window.”
On whether voters abroad need to register again for a potential runoff election, Elezi clarified:
“No. For the second round, only those successfully registered for the October 12 elections in municipalities with a runoff will be eligible. The same list of registered diaspora voters will apply — there will be no new registration.”
He reiterated that under the Law on General Elections, voters abroad can only vote by mail for local elections — voting at diplomatic missions is not allowed.
“The CEC will open post office boxes in different countries so ballots can be sent directly by mail,” Elezi added.
Kosovar citizens living abroad have until August 29 to apply. Registration must be individual, either via the CEC’s online platform (https://diaspora.kqz-ks.org) or by mailing an application to the CEC’s post box in Kosovo.
