Serb voters abroad face long trips in tight election after officials move polling stations

Belgrade, Serbia (AP) — Irina Djordjic, a Serbian citizen with dual Canadian citizenship, registered to vote in Canada, expecting a simple process. However, she discovered her polling station had moved 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles) away to Toronto, forcing her to fly and potentially wait in line at 2 a.m. similar to the 2023 election.

This is not an isolated incident; thousands of Serb expatriates in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand face the same challenge. Critics allege these moves by Serbian election authorities are deliberate attempts to discourage voting from abroad, potentially benefiting the youth-led student movement opposing populist leader Aleksandar Vucic.

Serbia's student movement emerged from anti-corruption protests following a railway station collapse in November 2024, blamed on government corruption. The populist SNS party and the movement are closely contesting the vote, and foreign ballots could sway the outcome. Borko Stefanovic, a former senior Foreign Ministry official and opposition politician, claims the regime obstructed votes abroad due to fear of losing power.

However, government officials attribute the changes to logistical, security, spatial, and staffing factors. Serbia's election commission has not addressed the complaints. In response, Serbs worldwide have utilized VoteBnB, a nonprofit platform connecting volunteers for accommodation, car-sharing, and transport to polling stations in Europe, North America, and Australia, facilitating a "large network of volunteers, one big community."