The SNS-led government in Serbia is facing growing scrutiny over the way voting for the Serbian diaspora is being organized ahead of the October 25 elections. What should be a straightforward exercise of the right to vote has instead raised serious questions over missing polling stations, a lack of transparency and voting conditions that critics say could discourage thousands of citizens abroad from participating.
The Republic Election Commission approved 93 polling stations abroad despite objections from several of its members. Vancouver, where around 1,300 Serbian citizens reportedly registered to vote, was left without a polling station, while Bratislava, with nearly 400 registered voters, was also excluded. Members of the commission said they had not been given sufficient information about how the locations were selected, including data on the number of registered voters by city and country. Such decisions have fueled concerns that the distribution of polling stations may not simply be an administrative issue, but could have political consequences for the diaspora vote.
The controversy deepened with the decision to adjust voting hours abroad to Central European Time. For Serbian citizens in countries such as the United States and Australia, this could mean voting during the night. Critics have described the arrangement as a form of electoral manipulation, arguing that forcing voters to participate at inconvenient hours could discourage turnout. The issue has become particularly contentious because the diaspora is being asked to travel long distances in some cases, while additional obstacles are being placed around when and where they can vote.
Members of the opposition and th
