Voter participation in Serbia’s snap parliamentary election rose sharply on Sunday, with independent observers and polling estimates indicating a stronger turnout than in the 2023 parliamentary vote.
The election-monitoring group CRTA estimated that 41.1% of eligible voters had cast ballots by 1 p.m., with a margin of error of 0.9 percentage points. Turnout at the same point in December 2023 was 26.6%, according to CRTA.
A separate estimate from Ipsos and CeSID put participation at 46.4% by 2 p.m., compared with 32.2% at the same time in 2023, broadcaster N1 reported. The figures use different reference times and methodologies and should therefore be considered separately.
More than 6.45 million registered voters are eligible to choose among 18 electoral lists competing for 250 seats in parliament. Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. and are scheduled to close at 8 p.m. local time.
The vote is a major test for the long-dominant Serbian Progressive Party and its leader, Aleksandar Vučić, who stepped down as president to seek the premiership. The student-backed list emerged from protests following the 2024 collapse of a railway-station canopy in Novi Sad that killed 16 people. Demonstrators have demanded accountability and action against corruption, allegations the authorities have rejected.
Higher turnout does not by itself indicate which side will win. CRTA has said it plans to publish a preliminary projection after polling stations close, no earlier than 9:30 p.m.; official results will follow the electoral process.
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