Professor: Serbia's voter lists include 'dead souls,' inflating rolls

Sanja Belić, a professor and member of the Free University of Novi Sad, has voiced strong criticism regarding the integrity of Serbia's electoral system. Speaking at a protest in Novi Sad, she argued that without free and fair elections, all other political discussions are meaningless.

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We are a country where 'dead souls vote, and the living are left without their will.'

Belić highlighted significant flaws in the voter registry, stating, "We are a country where 'dead souls vote, and the living are left without their will.'" She explained that voter lists include individuals who have long passed away, as well as "phantom voters" registered at addresses where they have never lived. These voters are allegedly brought in overnight to artificially inflate vote counts for certain candidates.

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At the last census, there were 5.1 million adult citizens in Serbia. People, we have 6.5 million voters on the electoral rolls. That's a huge difference. Who are these people, who votes instead of them?

She pointed to a stark discrepancy between the number of eligible voters and the total number of adult citizens in Serbia. "At the last census, there were 5.1 million adult citizens in Serbia. People, we have 6.5 million voters on the electoral rolls. That's a huge difference. Who are these people, who votes instead of them?" she questioned. Belić also criticized the organized transport of voters from other cities and even other countries, noting that restrictions on opening polling stations abroad prevent diaspora members from voting.

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people, that is theft. That is the theft of your vote, the theft of our future and our freedom

Describing these practices not as administrative errors but as "theft," Belić asserted that this theft undermines citizens' votes, future, and freedom. She announced that her student group's first priority will be a complete, transparent, and thorough revision of all electoral rolls in Serbia. "This is the first step towards returning sovereignty to the citizens," she stated, adding that only with a clean voter list and genuine votes can any victory be considered real.

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This is the first step towards returning sovereignty to the citizens.