Serbian students protest proposal to cut overseas voting locations

The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has submitted a proposal to the Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) to abolish numerous overseas polling stations across North America, the Middle East, and Europe.

In response, the Students in Blockade group issued a statement condemning the move as a “shameful attempt to sabotage the electoral process” and a “direct attack on the constitutional rights of our citizens abroad.” The students argued that the Ministry is attempting to exert undue pressure on the RIK, which holds the sole legal authority to make final decisions on voting locations.

Key criticisms from the students include the potential for arbitrary interpretation of regulations regarding voter numbers, the use of security assessments as an exclusionary criterion, and the logistical absurdity of proposing voting times based on Belgrade time, which would force voters in Asia or America to vote in the middle of the night. The proposal specifically targets the removal of locations in cities such as Vancouver, Toronto, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Houston.