The Central Election Commission (KQZ) of Kosovo has held its latest meeting, during which it approved a new standard procedure for out-of-country voting. The commission also made a decision to decertify 9 candidates and ruled on hundreds of administrative complaints from voters.
New Voting Procedure for Kosovars Abroad
Under the new procedure, the ballot package sent by the KQZ via post must be received only by the person registered to vote. According to the new rule, a postal official must verify the identity of the recipient with an identification document before handing over the envelope. The ballot package for mail-in voting contains the ballots, a secrecy envelope, instructions, and a return envelope. The KQZ will publish the addresses of designated post office boxes in various countries where voters can mail their completed ballots.
Candidate Decertification and Voter Complaints
In another decision, the KQZ decertified 9 candidates from various political parties who were previously approved to run in the upcoming local elections on October 12, 2025. The candidates were from: Prishtina në dorën tënde (1), the Democratic Party of Kosovo (1), the Movement for the Union of Albanians (1), the Egyptian Liberal Party (2), and Alternativa (4).
The commission also reviewed 275 administrative complaints from individuals who were rejected for out-of-country voting. As a result, 77 of the complaints were approved after the applicants provided the necessary documents, while 174 were rejected for not following the correct procedure. Additionally, 24 citizens were returned to the voter list within Kosovo upon their request to cancel their out-of-country registration.
