500,000: The Gap in Serbia's Voter Roll Ahead of Monday's Ballot

Approximately 500,000 registered voters in Serbia lack a complete address on the electoral roll, according to an investigation by RFE/RL's Balkan Service. The missing data often includes specific street names or house numbers. This finding emerged just two days before the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 25.

Aleksandar Vucic, who has led Serbian politics for fourteen years, is seeking the prime ministership after resigning as president in late September. He previously held the office from 2014 to 2017. His ruling party faces a challenge from a student movement that formed during widespread protests. Vladimir Bilcik, a former European Parliament rapporteur, described this contest as the first in over a decade with a genuinely uncertain outcome.

The integrity of the voter register has drawn sharp criticism. The RFE/RL audit identified hundreds of voters listed at public facilities like social welfare centers. It also found residential addresses that could not logically accommodate the number of people registered there. These irregularities mirror suspicions from the 2023 election, when international observers reported the transportation of voters from neighboring Bosnia-Hercegovina and instances of voter intimidation.

The election takes place on a sensitive date, days before the second anniversary of the Novi Sad tragedy. On November 1, 2024, a renovated canopy at the city's railway station collapsed, killing sixteen people. The disaster triggered nationwide protests fueled by allegations of corruption at a construction site led by Chinese businesses. Authorities met the demonstrations with police force and arrests. On March 15, 2025, a particularly severe incident occurred when authorities allegedly deployed an unlawful sonic weapon against peaceful demonstrators.

Current polling indicates the electorate is deeply divided between the ruling coalition and the student movement. The opposition list is headed by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic. The group consists largely of nonpartisan figures, including university professors. The movement has clarified that Srdanovic's position does not guarantee a premiership if they win.

The government claims it implemented all recommendations from the OSCE's observation mission following the 2023 election. However, an interim report from the OSCE contradicted this assertion. The organization has deployed 300 observers to Serbia. RFE/RL investigations noted that the number of eligible voters in Bosnia and Kosovo increased ahead of the vote. Four employees of Serbia-funded institutions in Kosovo told RFE/RL they faced pressure to vote for the ruling party.

Allegations of illegal surveillance complicate the political climate. A statement from the US Senate's Foreign Relations Committee on October 21 cited reports of illegal monitoring of opposition members. Research by the Serbian nonprofit SHARE and Toronto University researchers alleged that at least sixteen cases of the Pegasus surveillance software were used in 2026. The software is illegal in Serbia. Government officials have denied targeting their political rivals.