Voters abroad face longer trips

Serbians living abroad face longer journeys to vote in the early parliamentary election on Sunday, 25 October 2026, after authorities moved some polling stations. Irina Djordjic, who holds dual Canadian-Serbian citizenship, learned that her Vancouver station had been shifted to Toronto, about 3,500 kilometers away, and would open at 2 a.m. to match Serbian time. Some 100,000 people have registered to vote abroad this year, compared with 39,000 in 2023, and thousands of expatriates in the United States, Australia and New Zealand face similar problems. Critics say the changes are meant to deter voters abroad, who may be less supportive of Vučić. Foreign Minister Marko Djuric has defended the decisions, citing registered voter numbers along with logistical, security, space and staffing criteria.

202339,000

2026100,000

2023

39000 registered voters

2026

100000 registered voters

Data from the article text

Djordjic, a former journalist who now works as a fundraiser in Canada, described the practical burden in a phone interview with The Associated Press.

“Some people have small children, some can't be absent for too long.”

Borko Stefanovic, an opposition politician and former senior Foreign Ministry official, told the AP that the government did everything to stop citizens abroad from voting out of fear of losing power.

Students march into Belgrade

On Wednesday, 21 October, thousands lined the streets of Belgrade as students who had walked across the country for several days arrived in the capital. The same day, Vučić addressed thousands of supporters at a rally in the southern city of Niš, where he expressed confidence that his Serbian Progressive Party will win on Sunday. He also repeated accusations that students and their professors were acting on instructions from abroad to destabilize the country.

“There will be no more politics in schools and at faculties.”

Authorities detained six people on Wednesday over alleged plans for unrest on election day, and government critics say similar arrests before past protests have aimed to intimidate demonstrators. The final student rally is scheduled for Thursday, 22 October, at Slavija square in Belgrade, where students staged their biggest gatherings during the protests.

Polls point to a near tie

The race is close. An NSPM poll conducted on 20 October gave the Student List 44.5% and the SNS 42.7%, while betting odds favour Vučić, according to Reuters. Other surveys differ widely, with one showing the list nearly 10 percentage points ahead. The Student List is fielding 250 candidates, including university professors, actors, farmers and a popular rapper. Turnout is expected to be high, and that is believed to favour the students, according to AP.

Student List44.5%

SNS42.7%

Student List

44.5 %

SNS

42.7 %

Data from the article text

Nationalism and the Mladic issue

Vučić's campaign media have accused his rivals of smearing Ratko Mladic, a general convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity over the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. Mladic died in custody in The Hague in August and was buried in Belgrade in September with military honours. A pro-Vučić sociology professor at Belgrade University, Vladimir Vuletic, said most Serbs know Mladic committed crimes but that ethno-nationalist loyalties often outweigh reason.

“This is an identity problem, not a rational problem.”

What comes next

International election observers and the European Union have expressed concern about the safety and fairness of the vote, according to HotNews. Analysts fear that both sides could claim victory on election night if the result stays close once polls close on Sunday. If the SNS wins again, Vučić is expected to return as prime minister after resigning the presidency in September to lead the campaign.