Kosovo Election Commission Finds No Serious Irregularities in Recount of 185 Polling Sites

Kosovo’s Central Election Commission (KQZ) recounted 185 regular polling stations out of a total of 2,498 across all municipalities to verify the accuracy of the December 28 parliamentary election results. The sample, selected to represent the whole country, revealed only minimal differences. In 92 % of the cases the vote count for individual candidates changed by a single vote; larger adjustments were rare, with only 118 instances of a two‑vote increase, 16 of three votes, and two of four votes. Overall, corrections affected 36 added and 20 subtracted votes for political parties, a net change of just 16 votes.

KQZ spokesman Valmir Elezi said the findings provide no basis to expand the recount to additional polling stations. The recount also uncovered procedural issues such as re‑classification of invalid ballots and minor human errors during the initial count, but no evidence of systematic manipulation. Earlier allegations of vote‑rigging after the December elections had led to the arrest of hundreds of individuals involved in vote‑counting, but the new audit suggests the original results remain largely intact.