Serbia votes in snap parliamentary election between Aleksandar Vučić and Ilija Srdanović

Serbia held snap parliamentary voting under an atmosphere of very high turnout and a string of incidents that ranged from ballot photographing and allegations of vote-buying to physical attacks outside polling stations.

Turnout, tensions and reports of irregularities

Aleksandar Vučić, top candidate of the list "Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia," told voters after casting his ballot that "In elections you can win or lose. We will always act responsibly. If we lose, we should recognize the will of the voters; if we win, no one will take that away from us. You should interfere less in our electoral processes and in our domestic political affairs. For that, you should stop insulting Serbia every day. You should show greater respect for our country, and then we will always show respect for your country. Wait, Croats, these are Serbian, not Croatian elections."

Ilija Srdanović, the lead candidate of the Student List, said he expected scenes of record turnout and appealed for a peaceful day of voting: "I hope today will pass in a democratic atmosphere, in peace, and that we will legitimately elect a new government in Serbia. Tonight we will give guidance on what should be done next. Right now, the most important thing is for people to go out and vote freely. This is the most legitimate possible way to come to a new government that will lead Serbia toward a better future."

Observers and local reports documented multiple problems. The monitoring mission CRTA reported that photographing of ballots was recorded at 25 percent of the polling stations it observed nationwide, and at more than half of observed stations in Belgrade. Near Novi Sad, police received a complaint alleging attempted vote-buying and use of the so-called "Bulgarian train" — an electoral manipulation method aimed at moving groups of voters to specific polling places.

Violent incidents marred the day in several places. In Belgrade the mother of Aleksandar Vučić, Angelina Vučić, was reportedly pushed and had her market shopping bags torn; a man was arrested and placed in 48-hour detention on suspicion of robbery. A separate confrontation in the capital escalated into a physical fight in which a woman was injured and taken to hospital by ambulance.

In Pančevo, masked attackers armed with metal bars and signal flares assaulted a group of young people outside a polling station; social-media video shows at least one person with a bloodied face. Police and prosecutors are handling multiple reports of violence and intimidation.

Some of the day’s more striking images included a man in the Belville neighbourhood who arrived to vote wearing a bathrobe, carrying a small dog and a medical catheter shortly after surgery. Serbian citizens abroad also turned out: long lines formed at a polling site in New York, where some voters even came in sleepwear — bathrobes, pajamas and sleeping masks.

Actor Rade Šerbedžija, speaking from New York, urged compatriots to vote and expressed support for the Student List: "It's early morning here in New York, the sun is rising. Last night there were many of our citizens here, all across America, with smiles on their faces, convinced, determined... If you still haven't, go out and vote, students win."

In neighbouring North Macedonia, registered Serbian citizens were able to cast ballots at two locations: the Embassy of Serbia in Skopje and a polling station in Kumanovo.

Photo: press material from the event