Serbia's Election Commission postpones decision on new polling station screens

Serbia's Republic Election Commission (RIK) has deferred a decision on implementing new, enclosed screens at polling stations, opting instead to allow its working groups further time to review the proposal. The move comes amid ongoing debate about improving electoral transparency and adherence to international recommendations.

The proposed screens, which would feature four sides and a curtain, aim to enhance ballot secrecy, a concern raised by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in previous elections. Currently, voters are separated by cardboard dividers at polling stations.

President Aleksandar Vucic stated that the new screens were a demand from the ODIHR and would cost an estimated 7 to 8 million Euros. He suggested that Serbia would proceed with the implementation to meet ODIHR recommendations, despite questioning the necessity from Serbia's perspective.

The ODIHR has repeatedly flagged issues with polling station layouts and the quality of voting screens since at least the 2008 parliamentary elections, recommending improvements to better preserve the secrecy of the vote. While the RIK introduced larger screens in 2017 to protect voter privacy, subsequent recommendations in December 2023 noted that changing the screen orientation could compromise secrecy. The ODIHR's post-2024 local election report again called for improvements to polling station layouts and screen design.

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It’s better for us not to do this but ODIHR demanded it. We have to set aside 7 or 8 million Euro for that thing because they want us to meet ODIHR recommendations.