World News

Serbia ties overseas voting hours to domestic schedule ahead of parliamentary election

Diaspora voters in distant time zones face overnight polling as critics allege suppression

Updated Oct 6, 2026 · 13:12 UTC2 reports

The short version

Serbia's election commission ruled that foreign polling stations must follow domestic voting hours of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Serbian time.[Associated Press · ABC News]
The change forces diaspora communities in regions like North America and Australasia to cast ballots during the night or early morning.[Associated Press · ABC News]
Election commission member Sofija Mandic warned the decision and station allocations could disenfranchise more than 26,000 citizens.[Associated Press · ABC News]
Foreign Minister Marko Djuric defended the setup, saying overseas locations were chosen using logistical, security, and staffing criteria.[Associated Press · ABC News]

Serbia's election commission tied overseas voting hours to the domestic 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Serbian time window.[Associated Press · ABC News]
The commission approved 93 overseas polling stations, including 28 stations located in neighboring Bosnia.[Associated Press · ABC News]
The new hours mean voters in Chicago must vote between 1 a.m. and 2 p.m., while voters in Australia and New Zealand must vote overnight.[Associated Press · ABC News]
Nearly 1,300 registered voters in Vancouver were not assigned a polling station, requiring travel of around 3,500 kilometers to Toronto or Ottawa.[Associated Press · ABC News]
Former President Aleksandar Vucic resigned on Sept. 27 to seek the premiership in the Oct. 25 election amid sustained student-led protests.[Associated Press · ABC News]

The exact impact of the domestic-aligned hours and station placement on final overseas voter turnout remains unknown.[Associated Press · ABC News]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.