Until 10 am, 10 percent of Serbian citizens voted

Belgrade, April 2, 2017 – A total of 10 percent of citizens listed in the voters list have voted at the Serbian presidential elections until 10 am, the CRTA election observation mission ‘Citizens on Watch’ stated. Margin of error was +/- 0,5 percent. In comparison to the last year’s parliamentary elections, this is the turnout of 0.6 percent more voters until 10 am.

Observers deployed to a random and representative sample of 450 polling stations reported no major problems during voting process.

Irregularities during voting process were recorded at several polling stations, including voting without identification documents and not using the invisible spray. Distribution of campaign material less than 50 meters from the polling station was recorded at two percent of polling stations.

Recorded irregularities included isolated incidents that cannot be considered a trend.

The CRTA election observation mission ‘Citizens on Watch’ mobile team witnessed the situation in front of the polling station in Temerin that could potentially point to the case of vote bribery. The CRTA mission ‘Citizens on Watch’ will file criminal charges against NN persons before the Novi Sad Prosecutor’s Office that should investigate this case and inform the public about the outcome.

The CRTA election observation mission ‘Citizens on Watch’ does not have observers in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, abroad, or within the Bureau of Prisons.

The CRTA election observation mission ‘Citizens on Watch’ based its monitoring of the Serbian presidential elections on April 2, 2017 on statistical principles as an effective method for systematic observation of the process during the Election Day, using the Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) methodology. This methodology enables the assessment of the entire voting process on the Election Day – opening of the polling stations, voting and vote count – in an unbiased and systematic manner. PVT methodology uses randomly selected sample of the polling stations (PS), which means that the results are representative for the entire country. Observers are deployed to 450 polls and they monitor the entire election process – from the opening of polling stations until the records on the election results are compiled. Based on representative sample, PVT enables detection of irregularities and violations of election procedures on the Election Day and provides information about regularity of the election process for the entire country.

CRTA’s election observation is based on the highest international standards, stipulated in the Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation and Monitoring by Citizen Organizations.

The next public statement of the CRTA election observation mission ‘Citizens on Watch’ is scheduled for 3 pm.