Following the publication of preliminary election results, the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Kosovo has provided a detailed breakdown of the legal and logistical milestones required before the official certification of the vote, which is tentatively scheduled for early July.
CEC Spokesperson Valmir Elezi detailed the next phases of the electoral process during a press conference on Monday, emphasizing that while deadlines are strictly planned, the final timeline hinges entirely on the progression of counting and subsequent legal appeals.
Detailed Roadmap to Final Certification
According to the CEC’s operational timeline, the certification of final election results is projected to take place by July 6, 2026. However, Elezi cautioned that this remains a target date dependent on the smooth execution of several consecutive phases.
The sequential roadmap from the close of regular polls to full certification involves:
[The CEC Post-Election Roadmap]
1. Preliminary Tally (On-site Political Entity Counting) — COMPLETED
2. Transport of Materials to 38 Municipal Hubs — COMPLETED
3. Candidate Vote Counting & Discrepancy Verification — IN PROGRESS
4. Diaspora, Conditional, and Special Needs Ballot Verification
5. Centralized Audit at the Counting and Results Center (QNR)
6. Complaints & Appeals Window (PZAP and Supreme Court)
7. Official Certification of Final Results (Target: July 6)
“According to our current planning, the certification of the final election results is expected to take place by July 6,” Elezi stated. “However, this depends entirely on the flow and progress of the overall process; these are strictly operational plans.”
Current Status: Candidate Tallying and Audits
The process has moved directly into its second major phase. Over 2,200 CEC personnel are currently deployed across 38 municipal counting centers to tally preferential votes cast for individual MP candidates.
This phase also serves as an internal audit. Teams are cross-referencing political entity results recorded on-site at the 2,498 regular polling stations against the official Match and Reconciliation Forms to eliminate clerical errors.
As of Monday afternoon, candidate counting and form verification are fully operational across all 38 municipalities, with the final 23 hubs joining the initial 15 that began counting earlier in the morning.
Diaspora and Out-of-Country Ballots
A crucial component that must be finalized before certification is the processing of out-of-country ballots. The CEC is currently managing the logistics of consolidating votes cast by the Kosovo diaspora through two primary channels:
- Ballots cast in-person at designated diplomatic and consular missions worldwide.
- Ballots sent remotely via secure postal mail.
Once received and audited for voter eligibility, these diaspora ballots—alongside domestic conditional and special needs votes—will be transported to the central Counting and Results Center (QNR) to be tallied and integrated into the final, uncertified standings. Only after the adjudication of any subsequent complaints by the Electoral Panel for Complaints and Appeals (PZAP) and the Supreme Court will the CEC declare the final certified results.
