Minority Council Elections: 52 Lists for Nov. 8 Vote
The Republic Electoral Commission has confirmed the consolidated lists and formed polling boards for the elections of councils for 23 minorities. Voting is on 949 polling stations.
At a session on October 28, the Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) confirmed the consolidated candidate lists for the elections of members of the national councils of national minorities, called for November 8. According to media reports, 52 electoral lists have been declared for the vote, and ballots will be cast at 949 polling stations. Neither figure appears in the statement on the RIK website, so they are reported here as claims by the media.
What did RIK decide at its 71st session?
The session was chaired by RIK deputy chairman Marko Jankovic. The commission adopted six acts covering direct elections and elections through electoral assemblies:
- a decision on forming polling boards to conduct the vote
- a decision confirming the consolidated candidate lists
- a decision on the number of ballots
- a decision on the form and appearance of the ballots
- a decision on ballot colors for elections through electoral assemblies
- a decision on the number of ballots for elections through an electoral assembly
Later in the session, RIK members amended the decision on forming the Working Body of the Republic Electoral Commission for the municipality of Boljevac.
How many ballots are being printed?
According to reports by B92 and sd.rs, 481,157 ballots will be printed, equal to the number of voters on the voter register, plus a reserve of 0.5 percent of the total number of voters. NS Reporter says the figure matches the voters entered in the special voter register, with an additional reserve. The sources do not say clearly whether the reserve is already counted in the 481,157 or is added on top, so the exact print run cannot be determined from the available reports.
Which minorities elect councils, and how many members?
Members of 23 national minorities will elect the councils. On September 16, the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue provisionally closed the special voter registers and determined that 21 minorities meet the conditions for direct elections. The Goran and Russian minorities elect their councils through electoral assemblies: the Goran council has 15 members and the Russian council 19.
In direct elections, the number of members differs from council to council:
- 35 members each: the Bosniak, Hungarian and Roma councils
- 29 members: the Albanian council
- 23 members each: the Vlach, Romanian, Slovak, Croatian and Montenegrin councils
- 19 members each: the Bulgarian, Bunjevac, Macedonian and Rusyn councils
- 15 members each: the Ashkali, Greek, Egyptian, German, Polish, Slovenian, Ukrainian and Czech councils
When were the previous elections held?
Under the Law on National Councils of National Minorities, a council’s term lasts four years. The previous elections were held on November 13, 2022, a little under four years ago. The next vote is scheduled for November 8, 2026.
