Serbia Electoral List Deadline Hits Midnight, 16 Lists
The Republic Electoral Commission had proclaimed 17 lists by morning, and one was withdrawn. Aleksandar Vucic's list has the most signatures, and the consolidated list is due by October 9.
The submission of electoral lists for the snap parliamentary elections scheduled for October 25 closes tonight, October 4, at midnight. The Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) had proclaimed 17 lists by morning, but one has since been withdrawn, leaving 16 lists in the race. Seven of them have the status of a national minority list.
Which list was withdrawn?
It is the list “Choice of the People - Miroslav Miki Aleksic - Milos Parandilovic - Aleksandar Jovanovic Cuta”. The RIK proclaimed it on September 18 as list number nine. Notice of the withdrawal reached the commission on September 22, and by a decision of September 24 the RIK recorded the list as withdrawn. Under the commission’s timetable, a list can be withdrawn up to the day the consolidated electoral list is established.
How many signatures did each list submit?
The gap between the first list and the rest is large. The list “Aleksandar Vucic - United Serbia”, submitted by the coalition gathered around the Serbian Progressive Party, filed 209,130 certified signatures, roughly three times as many as the runner-up. It has 250 candidates.
The top five by signatures:
- “Aleksandar Vucic - United Serbia”: 209,130
- “Student List - Students Win”: 69,099, led by Ilija Srdanovic, a professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad
- “Ivica Dacic - Factor of Stability”: 18,162
- “Vladimir Gajic - Alternative for Serbia - People’s Party, Revolt - Right Serbia”: 12,489, with 50 candidates
- “Authentic Right - Dr. Milos Jovanovic”: 10,712
Right behind them is a group of lists with just over 10,000 signatures: “Bogoljub Karic - Movement of the Forces of Serbia” (10,603), “Liberal Green Party” (10,580), “European Serbia”, headed by Marinika Tepic and Zdravko Ponos (10,130), and “Dad, This Is for You - Petar Djuric” (10,007). Petar Djuric’s list has nine candidates for members of parliament.
For national minority lists the numbers are lower. The Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians submitted 9,332 signatures, Rasim Ljajic’s list 7,675, Usame Zukorlic’s list 6,723, “SDA of Sandzak - Guardians of Sandzak” 5,910, the “Russian-Serbian Unity Party” 5,778, and “I Choose Justice - I Choose the Future” 5,069. A minority list needs 5,000 signatures. The Russian party Serbia in BRICS, led by Slobodan Nikolic with 25 candidates, also has minority list status.
What happens after midnight?
By October 9 at the latest, the RIK must establish the consolidated electoral list and publish it in the Official Gazette. The same day, the unified voter register is closed and the total number of voters is determined, and the decision closing the register is delivered by midnight on October 10.
Other deadlines from the timetable:
- foreign observers must be registered by October 14, domestic ones by October 17
- the pre-election silence begins at midnight on October 22
- polling stations are open on October 25 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
No new list can enter the race after midnight, but the RIK issues decisions on lists already submitted within 48 hours of filing, so the number of proclaimed lists can still change.
