Serbia's October 25 Election Faces Audit and Surveillance Crises

Roughly 500,000 registered voters in Serbia lack complete street addresses or house numbers in their official records, according to an investigation by RFE/RL. This discovery adds immediate uncertainty to the parliamentary elections scheduled for Monday, October 25.

The flaw in the voter roll is the latest development in a campaign defined by disputes over fairness. Aleksandar Vucic, who has led Serbian politics for fourteen years, is running for prime minister. He stepped down as president in late September to bypass term limits, returning to a role he previously held from 2014 to 2017.

The RFE/RL Balkan Service identified the missing data in the audit. The records often omit specific street names. The investigation also found hundreds of voters listed at public facilities like social welfare centers or at residential addresses that could not logically hold so many people.

These findings mirror suspicions raised during the 2023 election. International observers at that time reported irregularities, including the transport of voters from neighboring Bosnia-Hercegovina and instances of intimidation. The current vote takes place just days before the second anniversary of the Novi Sad tragedy, a railway station canopy collapse that killed sixteen people on November 1, 2024.

Vladimir Bilcik, a former European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia, called the upcoming vote the first in over a decade with a genuinely uncertain outcome. The opposition candidate list is led by cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic. The movement, which emerged from student protests, consists largely of nonpartisan figures including university professors.

The government claims it implemented all recommendations from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) following its 2023 criticism. However, an interim report from the OSCE contradicted this claim. The organization deployed 300 observers to Serbia for this election.

RFE/RL investigations noted an increase in eligible voters registered in Bosnia and Kosovo ahead of the vote. These regions are key sources of support for Vucic's Progressive Party among ethnic Serbs. Four employees of Serbia-funded institutions in Kosovo told RFE/RL they faced pressure to vote for the ruling party. This practice has also been documented in several Serbian municipalities.

Allegations of illegal surveillance have complicated 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 Pegasus surveillance software, which is illegal in Serbia, was used in at least sixteen cases in 2026. Government officials have denied targeting political rivals.

International observers have noted a decline in freedoms in Serbia over the past decade. The Freedom House report confirmed this trend. Some US lawmakers warned that Moscow may play an active role in the election. Republican Congressman Joe Wilson stated that Russia is deploying resources to monitor and disrupt Serbian citizens and the student movement. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed support for Vucic ahead of the election.

Vucic pledged to maintain his foreign policy course, including his refusal to follow EU calls for sanctions against Russia. The student movement has focused on fighting corruption and opposing sanctions. They also reiterated support for Belgrade's stance of not recognizing Kosovo's independence. Serbia's progress in EU integration has stalled, with no new accession chapter opened since late 2021.