The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections “Pod lupom” informed the public at a press conference that, for the repeat snap elections for the President of Republika Srpska from among the Serb people—held at 136 polling stations across 17 electoral units—it has deployed 111 civic, non-partisan election-day observers who will monitor the entire electoral process.
We recall that, following the snap elections held on 23 November 2025, numerous irregularities were identified, including: discrepancies in results after recounts (with votes unlawfully deducted from one candidate and unlawfully added to another), abnormally high turnout at certain polling stations, suspicions of identity abuse and signature forgery, extremely high support for a single candidate at specific polling stations, and an unusually high share of invalid ballots at certain polling stations. Based on these irregularities, the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CEC BiH) annulled the elections at 136 polling stations in 17 electoral units. It was determined that these irregularities could affect the allocation of mandates or the final ranking of candidates on the candidate list, i.e., the overall election results.
Election-day observers will monitor the opening of polling stations, the voting process, the closing of polling stations, vote counting, the packaging of election materials, voter turnout, and election results. All irregularities that could affect the electoral process will also be monitored, with immediate responses to address them and ensure that elections are conducted in accordance with the law.
Challenges in Implementing the Observation Mission and Polling Station Coverage
The Coalition “Pod lupom” is implementing this observation mission under partially specific conditions, as the CEC refused to accredit additional non-partisan observers. As a result, the Coalition “Pod lupom” is unable to observe the electoral process at all polling stations. By contrast, in previous practice—for example, during repeat elections in Doboj, Srebrenica, or Stolac—the CEC allowed the accreditation of additional observers without any obstacles.
Although the Coalition “Pod lupom” had a sufficient number of accredited observers at the entity level, the CEC’s decision had a significant negative impact on the organization and effectiveness of the observation mission, including an additional increase in operational and logistical costs. This decision led to an absurd situation and produced an illogical and unsustainable practice.
To illustrate, we were placed in a situation where we could not deploy our observers who live in Zvornik to observe elections in Zvornik, while the CEC offered the option of transporting an accredited observer from Prijedor or Trebinje to Zvornik to observe the elections. We believe that such a decision by the CEC was detrimental to the integrity of the elections and that this practice of changing the rules from one electoral cycle to another is unacceptable and does not contribute to improving the electoral process,” representatives of the Coalition “Pod lupom” stated.
This situation resulted in today’s coverage of polling stations by civic, non-partisan observers reaching 73%, with 111 observers deployed at 99 of the 136 polling stations where elections are being repeated.
Access of Observers to Polling Stations
The Coalition “Pod lupom” emphasized that, during the observation of the repeat snap elections for the President of Republika Srpska, almost all independent, non-partisan observers had unobstructed and timely access to polling stations, without any impediments to the observation mission, such as bans on observation that had occurred previously.
In Zvornik, observers were unable to access polling stations without hindrance due to procedural issues, as polling boards required observers—besides holding accreditation—to also present the accreditation decision in order to access polling stations, which had not been the case before.
We consider it important to highlight positive practices as well as respect for electoral legislation by all stakeholders in the electoral process. Unhindered access for independent observers is a fundamental prerequisite for credible election observation. Only under such circumstances is it possible to ensure that the observation mission is carried out to its full capacity and without creating doubts about the regularity of the electoral process at the very opening of polling stations,” the Coalition “Pod lupom” stated.
Opening of Polling Stations
The majority of polling stations opened on time without significant delays. Exactly at 7:00 a.m., 99% of the observed polling stations opened, while 1% opened between 7:01 and 7:15 a.m.
Electoral Irregularities
Irregularities recorded by 9:00 a.m. primarily relate to indications that polling board chairpersons and deputy chairpersons may be affiliated with political parties.
It is necessary to note that there is a somewhat higher number of individuals on polling boards for whom there are indications of connections to political parties, judging by the initial information the Coalition “Pod lupom” is receiving from the field. The Coalition “Pod lupom” is already continuously working on collecting evidence related to these indications for the purpose of reporting them to the competent authorities,” the Coalition “Pod lupom” stated.
The Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina is clear, and such irregularities are unacceptable, as a one-party polling board can significantly influence election results, which is why clear legal restrictions exist.
We call on all political subjects to respect the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to refrain from electoral irregularities, and to respect the ongoing pre-election silence. We also call on polling boards to perform their duties professionally, impartially, and in accordance with legal rules and prescribed procedures,” representatives of the Coalition “Pod lupom” added.
The Coalition “Pod lupom” called on citizens to report any electoral irregularities they observe via the free hotline 080 05 05 05 or through the Coalition “Pod lupom” social media channels.
The next press release on the voting process, voter turnout as of 11:00 a.m., and electoral irregularities up to 12:00 p.m. will be published at 1:00 p.m. on the website www.podlupom.org, and the next press conference will be held at 9:30 p.m. at the Coalition “Pod lupom” premises in Sarajevo.
