The Central Election Commission (CEC) expects to complete today the retrieval of all ballot packages from overseas postal boxes, Ekonomia Online reports.
Although the final results of the snap parliamentary elections held on December 28 were initially scheduled to be announced no later than January 19, CEC spokesperson Valmir Elezi stated that the Commission is taking all necessary steps to announce the results earlier than planned.
“Based on preliminary data, from 57 polling stations where conditional voting was enabled across 38 municipalities, more than 9,900 voters were registered in the system to vote conditionally. Meanwhile, 2,860 voters were registered under the special voting program for persons with disabilities,” Elezi said.
He emphasized that all these activities aim to ensure the earliest possible announcement of the final results of Kosovo’s snap parliamentary elections.
Why Results May Be Announced Earlier
When snap elections were called, the CEC adopted a detailed activity plan that set January 19 as the latest possible date for announcing final results. This timeline also accounted for potential complaints and the time required for decisions by institutions such as the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) and the Supreme Court.
“Based on the current pace of work, it is possible that the announcement of results, initially planned for January 19, will take place earlier,” Elezi explained.
Procedures Before Final Results
Elezi outlined the key steps the CEC must complete before announcing and certifying the final results:
- Verification and counting of results at municipal counting centers (already completed)
- Counting at the Counting and Results Center (CRC) of:
- Ballots from voting outside Kosovo
- Conditional ballots
- Ballots from persons with special needs
- Completion of the review of potential complaints by ECAP and the Supreme Court
Status of Overseas and Special Voting
The CRC is currently continuing the count of ballots from voting abroad, specifically postal voting. So far, ballots from more than 28,000 packages retrieved before the New Year from CEC postal boxes in Berlin and Bern have been counted.
On January 2, an additional 8,180 ballot packages were collected from postal boxes in Prague, London, Paris, Zagreb, Stockholm, Istanbul, New York, Canberra, and Copenhagen, which are expected to arrive in Kosovo today.
“The process of retrieving ballot packages from overseas postal boxes concludes today. Once they arrive in Kosovo, they will undergo verification, and those approved will be included in the count,” Elezi said.
The CEC also plans to begin counting conditional ballots and ballots from voters with special needs today.
