BELGRADE — Turnout in Serbia's snap parliamentary election reached an estimated 12% by 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, according to the monitoring groups Ipsos and CeSID, the Center for Free Elections and Democracy. The estimate rested on 94% of sampled stations, Crisis.Zone reported.

Source: Crisis.Zone, reporting CeSID/Ipsos

Votendi, in its own election-day report, likewise put turnout at 12.0% by 9:00 a.m. CET, compared with 5.3% at the same time in 2023, citing CeSID/Ipsos figures reported by RTS. It noted the initial estimate used 94% of the monitoring sample processed, as also reported by N1 — a description of sample coverage, not a count of all ballots nationwide. The small difference in the 2023 comparison figure (5.2% in one report, 5.3% in the other) reflects the separate reports of the same monitors' data.

Source: Votendi, reporting CeSID/Ipsos via RTS

12%estimated turnout by 9 a.m. Sunday, CeSID/Ipsos reported
5.2%turnout at the same hour in the December 2023 election, CeSID/Ipsos via Deutsche Welle, as reported by Crisis.Zone
7 a.m.–8 p.m.voting hours Sunday; projections expected around 10 p.m.
126 of 250seats needed for a majority in the National Assembly

Long queues formed outside polling stations in Belgrade and Novi Sad before doors opened at 7:00 a.m., both reports said. Reuters, in its election-day report, also described unusually long lines in Belgrade and Novi Sad before voting began, and a voter in Belgrade, Ana, 30, saying: "I came out early today because the students called us."

Source: Reuters via WNCY

The vote follows Vucic's decisions to accept the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) nomination on 5 September to head its list as candidate for prime minister, to dissolve parliament on 9 September and to resign as president on 27 September, Crisis.Zone reported. Vucic, 56, has dominated Serbian politics since 2012, and the constitution bars him from a third consecutive presidential term, it reported.

Source: Crisis.Zone

Serbia's Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) is not expected to release official tallies before Monday, AP reported, and under Serbian election law results must be published within 96 hours of voting ending, Crisis.Zone reported. Early turnout alone does not show which side is benefiting, and the morning pace cannot determine turnout for the full day, Votendi noted.

Source: Crisis.Zone, reporting AP; Votendi

Election-day update on Awaaz Punjab's earlier report

Awaaz Punjab reported this morning that Serbia was voting in the snap election, with the student movement challenging Vucic. This report adds the first turnout estimate from the monitors. Read the voting-day report