Serbia’s Foreign Ministry proposes opening 90 polling stations abroad for the October 25 elections

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia will propose to the State Election Commission that 90 polling stations be opened abroad for the parliamentary elections of October 25, the Beta agency reported, citing a document of the Ministry.

Most stations are proposed in Bosnia and Herzegovina — a total of 28, of which 12 in Republika Srpska and 16 in the Federation. The Ministry proposes opening stations in countries where at least 100 voters have expressed interest, invoking the possibility foreseen by Article 9, paragraph 3 of the electoral instruction, which allows a station to be opened with fewer than 100 registered voters “if possible” — but never below 30 — if at least 2,500 voters have registered across a wider region, or at least 100 in countries where opening several stations is possible.

The seats are proposed taking into account the circumstances of the country, the concentration of voters, diplomatic-consular capacities and the costs for the budget. According to the proposal, in the United States voting will be possible in Washington (909 registered), Chicago (881) and New York (1,233); in Canada the Ministry proposes stations in Toronto and Ottawa (2,179 registered).

Polling stations abroad will be open from 7:00 to 20:00 Serbia time. If at a station there are not 100 voters on election day, the results are not determined there, but the materials are sent to be counted in Serbia.

For other countries the Ministry proposes, among others: Austria 13 stations, Germany 12, Croatia 2 (Zagreb 748 registered, Vukovar 263), Australia 2 (Melbourne 391, Sydney 462), the United Kingdom 1 (London 1,852), Russia 2 (Moscow 422, Sochi 134), China 1 (Beijing 484), Japan 1 (Tokyo 150), South Africa 1 (Pretoria 168) and New Zealand 1 (289 registered).