In Serbia’s early parliamentary elections, scheduled for Sunday, October 25, voting rules apply to voters and election boards both in Serbia and at polling stations abroad.
Here is what you need to know before going to the polling station at the Consulate General of the Republic of Serbia in Chicago.
Particular attention will be given to compliance with election regulations and maintaining order both at the polling station and outside the consulate building.
Voters should be aware that campaign materials may not be brought into the polling station. They are also prohibited from wearing clothing displaying visible political party symbols or messages promoting candidates or electoral lists.
The Same Election Rules Apply in Serbia and Abroad
Elections for Serbia’s National Assembly are governed by the Law on the Election of Members of Parliament, whose voting procedures also apply to polling stations abroad. This means that rules governing ballot secrecy, election board operations, the prevention of election campaigning and the maintenance of order are mandatory, whether voting takes place in Belgrade, Niš, Chicago or another city with an authorized polling station.
Article 98 of the law requires election boards to maintain order. Among the actions it identifies as disruptions are displaying the symbols of political parties, organizations submitting officially proclaimed electoral lists, and other campaign materials. The prohibition applies inside the polling station and in the area immediately outside it.
Unauthorized photography and video recording of activities at the polling station are also prohibited, as are compiling unofficial lists of people who have or have not voted and using phones to transmit such information without authorization.
If order is disrupted, the election board may temporarily suspend voting until conditions have been restored for the process to continue without interference.
A Limited Number of Voters Inside the Polling Room
The Consulate General of Serbia in Chicago is located on East Ohio Street at 201 E Ohio St, Suite 200. Voting will take place on Sunday, October 25, from 1 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time, in accordance with a decision by the Republic Electoral Commission.
The consulate’s doors will be open to citizens arriving to exercise their right to vote. However, that does not mean everyone who arrives at the same time will be allowed into the voting room simultaneously.
Article 95 of the Law on the Election of Members of Parliament expressly states that the number of voters present at a polling station may not exceed the number of voting booths provided. Entry will therefore be organized so that the number of voters in the room does not exceed the number of voting booths, helping ensure orderly voting and ballot secrecy. Other voters will have to wait their turn.
This restriction is not a special measure introduced for Chicago. It is a legal requirement that applies to all polling stations. Its purpose is to protect ballot secrecy and prevent overcrowding that could interfere with the election board’s work.
Political Party Symbols and Campaign Messages Are Prohibited
An especially important rule for voters concerns the display of election campaign materials. Posters, leaflets, badges, flags and other items used to promote political parties, candidates or electoral lists will not be permitted inside the Chicago polling station.
The restriction will also apply to clothing displaying visible campaign messages. This includes T-shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, baseball caps and other garments bearing party logos, campaign slogans, candidates’ names or messages clearly expressing support for a particular political party or electoral list.
Although the law does not identify specific types of clothing, displaying political party symbols, campaign slogans or other promotional messages on clothing may violate election regulations.
A notice explaining what may and may not be brought into the polling station will be posted on the entrance doors of the building housing the Consulate General. This will allow voters to review the rules they are required to follow before entering.
Metal Detector and Police Presence Outside the Building
In addition to the legal requirements governing voting, special security measures are planned in Chicago.
A metal detector will be installed at the entrance to the polling station, and voters will pass through it when arriving to vote. The screening is intended to prevent items that could endanger those present from being brought inside.
Police officers will also be present outside the building housing the consulate so they can respond if anyone attempts to provoke an incident, disturb public order or interfere with the voting process.
The police presence and entrance screening are security measures. Responsibility for administering voting procedures and maintaining order within the polling station, however, rests with the election board.
Who Can Vote and What Should Voters Bring?
Serbian citizens who registered in time to vote abroad and whose names appear on the voter register extract for this polling station are eligible to cast their ballots at the Consulate General of Serbia in Chicago.
Voters must bring a valid Serbian national identity card or passport. After their identity has been verified and the required checks completed, they sign the voter register extract and receive a ballot.
Voting is personal and secret. Voters mark their ballots behind a voting booth so no one else can see how they voted. The law prohibits suggesting to voters whom they should support, as well as voting on another person’s behalf. An exception regarding the completion of a ballot applies to voters who cannot fill it out independently because of illiteracy, impaired vision, disability or another reason. Those voters may request assistance from a person of their own choosing.
People who are at the polling station or immediately outside it when voting closes have the right to cast their ballots, in the order determined by the election board.
For everyone planning to vote in Chicago on Sunday, the most important things are to bring a valid Serbian identity document, arrive without political party symbols, and follow the election board’s instructions and security screening procedures. Doing so will help voters exercise their rights without unnecessary delays or disruption to the election process.
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