What is this extremely long queue in Stuttgart?
A Queue Around the Block, for Serbia's Election
On 25 October 2026, hundreds of people lined up outside a polling station in Stuttgart. They were Serbian citizens living in Germany, waiting for hours to take part in Serbia's snap parliamentary election. Similar scenes played out across Serbia and at polling stations abroad.
What happened in Serbia?
How It Started: A Collapsed Station Roof in Novi Sad
On 1 November 2024, the concrete canopy of the railway station in Novi Sad collapsed. 16 people died. For many Serbians, the accident quickly became a symbol of corruption and shoddy construction, and it sparked mass protests led by students that lasted for almost two years.
Under growing pressure, President Aleksandar Vučić dissolved parliament in September 2026 and called new elections. On 27 September he resigned as president in order to run for prime minister himself.
Record Turnout, and a Clear Result
The result shows how much this election meant to people: voter turnout reached around 69 percent, a record. According to preliminary projections, the student list won roughly 52 percent of the vote, and Vučić conceded defeat. In Serbia itself, polling stations reported long queues right up to closing time.
Why Voting From Abroad Means Waiting in Line
For Serbians abroad, voting means travelling to one of a few designated polling stations, often hours away, and then queuing. Anyone who works shifts, has children to look after or lives far from the next polling station often can't vote at all. The queue in Stuttgart shows how strongly people want to take part. It also shows how many probably gave up before they even got there.
What If You Could Simply Vote Online?
Now imagine that, as a voter abroad, you wouldn't have to go to an overcrowded polling station and could simply vote online. No travel, no queue, no closing time that leaves people standing outside. Estonia has offered internet voting in national elections since 2005, and associations, companies and unions already hold their elections digitally today.
The key question is trust: an online election must be at least as secure and secret as a paper ballot. How that works is explained in our section on security and data protection in online voting.
FAQ
Why did Serbian voters queue in Stuttgart?
Serbian citizens in Germany had to vote in person at designated polling stations for the parliamentary election on 25 October 2026. Because there are only a few of them, the queues were hours long.
What was the turnout in Serbia's 2026 election?
According to preliminary figures, turnout was around 69 percent, a record for Serbia.
Could online voting replace polling stations abroad?
Technically, yes. Estonia has used internet voting in national elections since 2005. What matters is that the system guarantees ballot secrecy, security and transparency.
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