Any voter outside of Kosovo who registers to vote by post from abroad will be removed from the voter lists distributed at polling stations in Kosovo on election day.

The names of these voters who register to vote from abroad will remain only on the list of voters outside Kosovo.

This has been confirmed for KosovaPress by the spokesperson of the Central Election Commission (CEC), Valmir Elezi, who stated that it is a legal obligation for the CEC that each voter who registers to vote from abroad has their name removed from the voter list inside Kosovo.

The CEC individually informs all those who apply and successfully register as voters outside Kosovo.

“It is a legal obligation for the CEC that each voter who registers to vote from abroad has their name removed from the voter list distributed at polling stations on election day in Kosovo. So, a Kosovo citizen who registers to vote outside Kosovo will find his name on the list of voters outside Kosovo. The CEC individually communicates this information to all those citizens who apply and successfully register as voters outside Kosovo,” Elezi said.

Elezi also explained cases when a citizen, after registering as a voter outside Kosovo, requests to be reinstated on the voter list inside Kosovo in order to vote physically at their polling station.

In this case, Elezi emphasized that a voter registered abroad may submit a request to the CEC, specifically to the voters’ service, to return to the voter list inside Kosovo. This can be done up to 24 hours before the end of the period for contesting the voter list.

“There may be cases when a citizen of Kosovo, after registering to vote abroad, requests to be deregistered from this voting method and return to the voter list distributed at polling stations on election day in Kosovo. In this case, the voter registered abroad may submit a request to the CEC, specifically to the voters’ service, to be reinstated in the voter list inside Kosovo, and this can be done up to 24 hours before the end of the period for contesting the voter list, which in this case is until August 30, 2025,” Elezi added.

On July 23, the Central Election Commission opened the registration period for voters abroad to vote by post in the local elections for mayors and municipal assemblies, which will be held on October 12, 2025.

According to the timeline set by the CEC, the registration period for voters abroad will last 38 days, until August 29, 2025.

According to the deadlines established by the CEC, the voting period abroad will begin on September 17 and end on October 11, 2025. This period will apply only to citizens who register as voters abroad during the 38-day registration period.

Unlike the general elections, where Kosovo citizens living abroad were able to vote also in diplomatic representations, in the October 12 local elections this option will not exist, and voting will only be possible by post. /A.Shala/