Key facts
When will the elections for national minority councils be called?
The decision to call the regular elections must be taken between 20 August 2026 and 19 September 2026. Elections are called no earlier than 120 and no later than 90 days before the expiry of the mandate of the last constituted national minority council (which expires on 18 December 2026).
When will the elections be held?
The elections must be conducted no later than 15 days before the expiry of the mandate of the national minority council that was constituted last. This means the elections must be held by Sunday, 29 November 2026 at the latest.
How are national minority councils elected?
Members of national minority councils are elected either in direct elections or through an electoral assembly (indirect elections). The precondition for direct elections is that more than 40% of the members of that national minority are enrolled in the special voter register on the day before the elections are called. Otherwise, the elections are conducted through electors.
How many national minority councils are registered?
A total of 24 national minority councils are registered in the Republic of Serbia. Councils are registered for the following national minorities: Albanian, Ashkali, Bulgarian, Bunjevac, Bosniak, Vlach, Gorani, Greek, Egyptian, Hungarian, Macedonian, German, Polish, Roma, Romanian, Russian, Ruthenian, Slovak, Slovenian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Montenegrin and Czech. The Executive Board of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Serbia performs the function of a national council by law.
At the regular elections in 2026, members of 22 councils will be elected, since the election for the Albanian national minority council was held in 2023 through an electoral assembly.
The decision to call the regular elections must be taken between 20 August 2026 and 19 September 2026. Elections are called no earlier than 120 and no later than 90 days before the expiry of the mandate of the last constituted national minority council (which expires on 18 December 2026).
When will the elections be held?
The elections must be conducted no later than 15 days before the expiry of the mandate of the national minority council that was constituted last. This means the elections must be held by Sunday, 29 November 2026 at the latest.
How are national minority councils elected?
Members of national minority councils are elected either in direct elections or through an electoral assembly (indirect elections). The precondition for direct elections is that more than 40% of the members of that national minority are enrolled in the special voter register on the day before the elections are called. Otherwise, the elections are conducted through electors.
How many national minority councils are registered?
A total of 24 national minority councils are registered in the Republic of Serbia. Councils are registered for the following national minorities: Albanian, Ashkali, Bulgarian, Bunjevac, Bosniak, Vlach, Gorani, Greek, Egyptian, Hungarian, Macedonian, German, Polish, Roma, Romanian, Russian, Ruthenian, Slovak, Slovenian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Montenegrin and Czech. The Executive Board of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Serbia performs the function of a national council by law.
At the regular elections in 2026, members of 22 councils will be elected, since the election for the Albanian national minority council was held in 2023 through an electoral assembly.
The 24 national minority councils: who votes in 2026, and how
Twenty-four national minority councils are registered in Serbia. Members of 22 of them will be elected in the 2026 regular elections.
Click a column heading to sort. Figures are from the 2022 elections; turnout and register figures exist only where members were elected directly.
| National minority council▼ | How elected in 2022 | Enrolled voters, 2022 | Turnout 2022 | Elected in 2026 |
|---|
Sources: Law on National Minority Councils; Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, official results of the 2022 elections. The Albanian council was elected directly in 2022 and again in 2023 through an electoral assembly, so it is not up for election in 2026. The Executive Board of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Serbia performs the function of a national council by law, so there is neither an election nor a special voter register.
Who is entitled to vote?
The right to vote belongs to a member of a national minority who meets the general conditions for acquiring the right to vote and who is enrolled in the special voter register established by the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue. Members of a national minority are entered into the voter register only at their own request.
How many special voter registers are there?
There are 23 special voter registers, corresponding to the registered national minority councils, with the exception of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Serbia, which has a specific institutional status.
How many voters will be entitled to vote, and at how many polling stations?
The total number of voters and their distribution across polling stations is determined by a decision of the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue 15 days before the elections, once the special voter registers are closed. The number of polling stations is determined beforehand by the Republic Electoral Commission.
The right to vote belongs to a member of a national minority who meets the general conditions for acquiring the right to vote and who is enrolled in the special voter register established by the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue. Members of a national minority are entered into the voter register only at their own request.
How many special voter registers are there?
There are 23 special voter registers, corresponding to the registered national minority councils, with the exception of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Serbia, which has a specific institutional status.
How many voters will be entitled to vote, and at how many polling stations?
The total number of voters and their distribution across polling stations is determined by a decision of the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue 15 days before the elections, once the special voter registers are closed. The number of polling stations is determined beforehand by the Republic Electoral Commission.
Context
Despite a relatively developed normative and institutional framework based on international standards, members of national minorities in Serbia still do not enjoy adequate protection, owing to inconsistent implementation of regulations, weaknesses in the work of state bodies, and pronounced political and social tensions.
The most recent amendments to the legislative framework concerning national minorities - the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Freedoms of National Minorities and the Law on National Minority Councils - were made in 2018, following the European Commission's report on Serbia.
However, in 2025 the European Commission again pointed to problems in the area of minority protection in Serbia. In its latest report, it recommended that Serbia adopt the action plan on national minorities currently in preparation and demonstrate, through better data collection, concrete improvements in the effective exercise of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, including reference to the goals set out in the Poznan Declaration on Roma Inclusion. It particularly emphasized that, in the context of minority protection, Serbia's institutional framework is incomplete, as the new action plan is being significantly delayed, while members of minorities continue to face discrimination. It stressed that Serbia must take into account the new, fifth opinion of the Advisory Committee of the Council of Europe's Framework Convention. It also noted that members of the Albanian national minority continue to express concern about the way the police verify places of residence in the south of the country, which has led to the passivization of certain addresses.
There are 78 registered national minority political parties in Serbia. The question of national minority participation in parliamentary and local elections attracts particular public interest, because of the numerous irregularities recorded in the certification of minority electoral lists.
The previous elections for national minority councils differed considerably in terms of the framework under which they were conducted. The elections in 2002 and 2006 were held in line with a bylaw of the ministry responsible for minority issues. At that time, national minority councils were elected only through electoral assemblies. The elections in 2010 and 2014 were held under the Law on National Minority Councils. In 2010 there were 16 direct elections and 3 electoral assemblies, and in 2014 there were 17 direct elections and 3 electoral assemblies, electing the members of 20 national minority councils.
At the elections held on 4 November 2018, a total of 507,183 voters were enrolled in the special voter register. Of that number, 462,759 voters were entitled to vote in the direct elections for 18 national minority councils, at 926 polling stations, while 44,424 voters were enrolled for the 4 national minorities whose council members are elected through an electoral assembly. The most recent elections were held on 13 November 2022, when members of 23 national minority councils were elected - direct elections were held for 19 councils, while 4 were voted on through electors. At that time a total of 456,199 voters were entitled to vote, and a total of 949 polling stations were designated across the country.
In the earliest electoral cycles, elections were organized at approximately 880 polling stations in 149 municipalities. In 2018 the number of polling stations rose to 926, and in 2022 as many as 949 polling stations were designated. The number of polling stations therefore grows from cycle to cycle, but the number of voters does not follow that growth - in 2022, slightly fewer voters were entitled to vote in the direct elections than in 2018, even though one more council was elected directly. Turnout rose to around 45% in 2018 and remained at that level in 2022. More than half of the enrolled members of national minorities still do not elect their representatives to the national councils. Behind that average lie considerable differences between communities - in some, turnout exceeded 55%, while in others it fell below 20%.
The most recent amendments to the legislative framework concerning national minorities - the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Freedoms of National Minorities and the Law on National Minority Councils - were made in 2018, following the European Commission's report on Serbia.
However, in 2025 the European Commission again pointed to problems in the area of minority protection in Serbia. In its latest report, it recommended that Serbia adopt the action plan on national minorities currently in preparation and demonstrate, through better data collection, concrete improvements in the effective exercise of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, including reference to the goals set out in the Poznan Declaration on Roma Inclusion. It particularly emphasized that, in the context of minority protection, Serbia's institutional framework is incomplete, as the new action plan is being significantly delayed, while members of minorities continue to face discrimination. It stressed that Serbia must take into account the new, fifth opinion of the Advisory Committee of the Council of Europe's Framework Convention. It also noted that members of the Albanian national minority continue to express concern about the way the police verify places of residence in the south of the country, which has led to the passivization of certain addresses.
There are 78 registered national minority political parties in Serbia. The question of national minority participation in parliamentary and local elections attracts particular public interest, because of the numerous irregularities recorded in the certification of minority electoral lists.
The previous elections for national minority councils differed considerably in terms of the framework under which they were conducted. The elections in 2002 and 2006 were held in line with a bylaw of the ministry responsible for minority issues. At that time, national minority councils were elected only through electoral assemblies. The elections in 2010 and 2014 were held under the Law on National Minority Councils. In 2010 there were 16 direct elections and 3 electoral assemblies, and in 2014 there were 17 direct elections and 3 electoral assemblies, electing the members of 20 national minority councils.
At the elections held on 4 November 2018, a total of 507,183 voters were enrolled in the special voter register. Of that number, 462,759 voters were entitled to vote in the direct elections for 18 national minority councils, at 926 polling stations, while 44,424 voters were enrolled for the 4 national minorities whose council members are elected through an electoral assembly. The most recent elections were held on 13 November 2022, when members of 23 national minority councils were elected - direct elections were held for 19 councils, while 4 were voted on through electors. At that time a total of 456,199 voters were entitled to vote, and a total of 949 polling stations were designated across the country.
More than half of the enrolled members of national minorities still do not elect their representatives to the national councils.
In the earliest electoral cycles, elections were organized at approximately 880 polling stations in 149 municipalities. In 2018 the number of polling stations rose to 926, and in 2022 as many as 949 polling stations were designated. The number of polling stations therefore grows from cycle to cycle, but the number of voters does not follow that growth - in 2022, slightly fewer voters were entitled to vote in the direct elections than in 2018, even though one more council was elected directly. Turnout rose to around 45% in 2018 and remained at that level in 2022. More than half of the enrolled members of national minorities still do not elect their representatives to the national councils. Behind that average lie considerable differences between communities - in some, turnout exceeded 55%, while in others it fell below 20%.
Elections for national minority councils, 2014-2022
Direct elections only. Councils elected through an electoral assembly are not shown, since their members are chosen by electors rather than by voters at polling stations.
2014
37.6%
turnout
17 councils · 456,444 enrolled
17 councils · 456,444 enrolled
2018
44.6%
turnout
18 councils · 467,545 enrolled
18 councils · 467,545 enrolled
2022
44.6%
turnout
19 councils · 456,199 enrolled
19 councils · 456,199 enrolled
Share of voters enrolled in each minority's special voter register who cast a ballot. Hover or tap a bar for the underlying numbers.
Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, official results of the elections for members of national minority councils, 2014, 2018 and 2022. The Polish minority first elected its council directly in 2018 and the Russian minority in 2022, so they have no 2014 comparison.
National minority councils in Serbia's legal system
Institutional framework
The protection of national minorities is established among the basic principles of the 2006 Constitution of the Republic of Serbia. In addition to individual rights, members of national minorities are guaranteed the collective right to participate in decision-making on matters relating to their culture, education, information and the official use of language and script (Article 75 of the Constitution).
The right of national minorities to elect their national councils in order to exercise the right to self-governance in these areas is provided for. Accordingly, national minority councils may establish institutions, associations, foundations and companies in the areas of culture, education, information and the official use of language and script (Article 10 of the Law on National Minority Councils). Within their competences, national minority councils advise and support local self-government units, the autonomous province and state bodies when adopting decisions relevant to the position of national minorities (Article 10 of the Law on National Minority Councils). They may also establish media outlets in line with their competences, and they take part in the procedure for electing members of the Council of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media.
Funding for the work of national minority councils is provided from the state budget (the budget of the Republic of Serbia, the autonomous province and local self-government units), from donations and from other revenues, and is allocated in line with a separate regulation or decision. The annual quota for the allocation of funds in 2026, for all 24 national minority councils, amounts to a total of 306 million dinars.
National minority councils use the Handbook for the Work of National Minority Councils in Serbia, prepared under a joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe (in the 2019-2022 period).
The umbrella body for the protection of national minority interests is the Council for National Minorities, chaired by the Prime Minister. The Council is responsible for monitoring and considering the state of the exercise of national minority rights and inter-ethnic relations in Serbia, and the presidents of the individual national minority councils take part in its work.
Legal framework
National minority councils were introduced into Serbia's legal system by the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Freedoms of National Minorities, adopted at the level of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 2002. After the dissolution of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, the law remained part of the legal system of the Republic of Serbia. However, this legislation did not precisely regulate the function and competences of national minority councils, nor the procedure for their election.
The election and competences of national minority councils were regulated in more detail by the separate Law on National Minority Councils, adopted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2009. This law has been amended twice - in 2014 and 2018. Conducting the elections for national minority councils was placed within the competence of the Republic Electoral Commission in 2014, while the 2018 amendments were made in order to align the provisions of the law with the Constitution.
Although there were no legislative changes, the (re-)establishment of the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue in 2020 removed the competence of the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government over the special voter registers. The regulations in force give the mandate for establishing the special voter registers to the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, while the records are kept by local self-government bodies.
The protection of national minorities is established among the basic principles of the 2006 Constitution of the Republic of Serbia. In addition to individual rights, members of national minorities are guaranteed the collective right to participate in decision-making on matters relating to their culture, education, information and the official use of language and script (Article 75 of the Constitution).
The right of national minorities to elect their national councils in order to exercise the right to self-governance in these areas is provided for. Accordingly, national minority councils may establish institutions, associations, foundations and companies in the areas of culture, education, information and the official use of language and script (Article 10 of the Law on National Minority Councils). Within their competences, national minority councils advise and support local self-government units, the autonomous province and state bodies when adopting decisions relevant to the position of national minorities (Article 10 of the Law on National Minority Councils). They may also establish media outlets in line with their competences, and they take part in the procedure for electing members of the Council of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media.
Funding for the work of national minority councils is provided from the state budget (the budget of the Republic of Serbia, the autonomous province and local self-government units), from donations and from other revenues, and is allocated in line with a separate regulation or decision. The annual quota for the allocation of funds in 2026, for all 24 national minority councils, amounts to a total of 306 million dinars.
National minority councils use the Handbook for the Work of National Minority Councils in Serbia, prepared under a joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe (in the 2019-2022 period).
The umbrella body for the protection of national minority interests is the Council for National Minorities, chaired by the Prime Minister. The Council is responsible for monitoring and considering the state of the exercise of national minority rights and inter-ethnic relations in Serbia, and the presidents of the individual national minority councils take part in its work.
Legal framework
National minority councils were introduced into Serbia's legal system by the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Freedoms of National Minorities, adopted at the level of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 2002. After the dissolution of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, the law remained part of the legal system of the Republic of Serbia. However, this legislation did not precisely regulate the function and competences of national minority councils, nor the procedure for their election.
The election and competences of national minority councils were regulated in more detail by the separate Law on National Minority Councils, adopted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in 2009. This law has been amended twice - in 2014 and 2018. Conducting the elections for national minority councils was placed within the competence of the Republic Electoral Commission in 2014, while the 2018 amendments were made in order to align the provisions of the law with the Constitution.
Although there were no legislative changes, the (re-)establishment of the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue in 2020 removed the competence of the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government over the special voter registers. The regulations in force give the mandate for establishing the special voter registers to the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, while the records are kept by local self-government bodies.
Features of the electoral process
The special voter register
The special voter register is an official record in which members of a national minority who meet the conditions for acquiring the right to vote are enrolled. The record is permanent and is updated regularly.
It is established by the Ministry and kept by the municipal or city administration as a delegated task, until the special voter register is closed. A member of a national minority submits a request for enrolment in the special voter register to the administrative body of the local self-government unit according to their place of residence, or place of stay in the case of internally displaced persons, using a special form.
A voter register is established at the request of at least 5% of the adult members of that minority according to the latest census, but their number cannot be fewer than 300. Accordingly, one national minority may have only one special voter register, and a member of a national minority may be enrolled in only one special voter register.
There are currently 23 special voter registers in Serbia.
Calling the elections
Regular elections for all national minority councils are held every four years, and members of national minority councils are elected either in direct elections or through an electoral assembly.
The minister responsible for minority rights takes the decision to call elections for all national minority councils no earlier than 120 and no later than 90 days before the expiry of the mandate of the last constituted national minority council.
The decision to call the elections sets the election day, starts the deadlines for electoral activities, determines the number of members to be elected to each national minority council, and the manner in which those members will be elected. Each national minority council may have a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 35 members. The number of council members is determined according to the results of the latest census.
Early elections are conducted in cases where a national minority council is dissolved, namely if: the new convocation of the council is not constituted within 30 days of the final election results being determined; the election procedure is suspended; the council does not convene for more than 6 months; the council does not elect a president within 30 days of being constituted or of the previous president's term ending; or the number of council members falls below half.
Direct elections
Under the law, direct elections for members of a national minority council are held if more than 40% of the total number of members of that national minority according to the latest census are enrolled in that minority's special voter register 24 hours before the elections are called, that is, at the moment of the provisional closing of the special voter register.
Direct elections are conducted by the Republic Electoral Commission.
If the conditions for direct elections are not met (fewer than 40% of the members of the minority are enrolled in the special voter register), members of the national minority council are elected through an electoral assembly.
Elections through an electoral assembly
Indirect elections are held if the conditions for direct elections are not met, or in the case of early elections. In elections through an electoral assembly, only delegates vote for the members of the national minority council.
The procedure for election through electors is initiated by a single decision calling the elections, and the date and place of the electoral assembly are published in the media, with a public call to all electors to submit applications to take part.
A member of a minority may become a candidate for elector if they are enrolled in the special voter register and if their candidacy is supported by the prescribed number of voters enrolled in that register. The number of certified signatures required depends on the size of the minority community and is prescribed by law.
A candidate for elector submits an application to the Ministry for approval no later than 30 days before the electoral assembly. The electoral assembly may be held only if a sufficient number of electors whose applications have been approved are present.
The elections are conducted by a three-member board appointed by the Republic Electoral Commission from among experts in electoral procedures. Electors vote in secret, on pre-prepared ballot papers, on which they write the name and the number of the list they are voting for.
Designating polling stations
Polling stations are designated by the Republic Electoral Commission for a minimum of 100 and a maximum of 2,500 voters enrolled in the special voter registers.
Candidacy
Electoral lists may be proposed by groups of voters enrolled in the special voter register, by associations whose aims are pursued in the area of protecting national minority rights, and by national minority political parties.
An electoral list must be supported by the signatures of at least 1%, but no fewer than 50, of the voters enrolled in the special voter register. A voter may support the electoral list of only one proposer with their signature, and signatures of support are certified before the competent body.
Competences of the Republic Electoral Commission
RIK, among other things, organizes the technical preparations for the elections, prescribes the forms and rules for conducting the elections, designates polling stations, certifies electoral lists, determines the collective electoral list, forms polling boards, and determines and publishes the election results.
General deadlines
Calling the elections - no earlier than 120 and no later than 90 days before the expiry of the mandate of the last constituted national minority council
Holding the elections - no later than 15 days before the expiry of the mandate of the national minority council constituted last
Publishing the forms and rules for conducting electoral activities - within 5 days of the decision calling the elections
Determining the collective electoral list - no later than 10 days before election day
Closing the special voter register - no later than 15 days before election day
Report with the overall election results - within 96 hours of the close of the elections
Allocation of mandates - within 3 days of the final election results being determined
Constitutive session of the national minority council - within 20 days of the final election results being determined
The special voter register is an official record in which members of a national minority who meet the conditions for acquiring the right to vote are enrolled. The record is permanent and is updated regularly.
It is established by the Ministry and kept by the municipal or city administration as a delegated task, until the special voter register is closed. A member of a national minority submits a request for enrolment in the special voter register to the administrative body of the local self-government unit according to their place of residence, or place of stay in the case of internally displaced persons, using a special form.
A voter register is established at the request of at least 5% of the adult members of that minority according to the latest census, but their number cannot be fewer than 300. Accordingly, one national minority may have only one special voter register, and a member of a national minority may be enrolled in only one special voter register.
There are currently 23 special voter registers in Serbia.
Calling the elections
Regular elections for all national minority councils are held every four years, and members of national minority councils are elected either in direct elections or through an electoral assembly.
The minister responsible for minority rights takes the decision to call elections for all national minority councils no earlier than 120 and no later than 90 days before the expiry of the mandate of the last constituted national minority council.
The decision to call the elections sets the election day, starts the deadlines for electoral activities, determines the number of members to be elected to each national minority council, and the manner in which those members will be elected. Each national minority council may have a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 35 members. The number of council members is determined according to the results of the latest census.
Early elections are conducted in cases where a national minority council is dissolved, namely if: the new convocation of the council is not constituted within 30 days of the final election results being determined; the election procedure is suspended; the council does not convene for more than 6 months; the council does not elect a president within 30 days of being constituted or of the previous president's term ending; or the number of council members falls below half.
Direct elections
Under the law, direct elections for members of a national minority council are held if more than 40% of the total number of members of that national minority according to the latest census are enrolled in that minority's special voter register 24 hours before the elections are called, that is, at the moment of the provisional closing of the special voter register.
Direct elections are conducted by the Republic Electoral Commission.
If the conditions for direct elections are not met (fewer than 40% of the members of the minority are enrolled in the special voter register), members of the national minority council are elected through an electoral assembly.
Elections through an electoral assembly
Indirect elections are held if the conditions for direct elections are not met, or in the case of early elections. In elections through an electoral assembly, only delegates vote for the members of the national minority council.
The procedure for election through electors is initiated by a single decision calling the elections, and the date and place of the electoral assembly are published in the media, with a public call to all electors to submit applications to take part.
A member of a minority may become a candidate for elector if they are enrolled in the special voter register and if their candidacy is supported by the prescribed number of voters enrolled in that register. The number of certified signatures required depends on the size of the minority community and is prescribed by law.
A candidate for elector submits an application to the Ministry for approval no later than 30 days before the electoral assembly. The electoral assembly may be held only if a sufficient number of electors whose applications have been approved are present.
The elections are conducted by a three-member board appointed by the Republic Electoral Commission from among experts in electoral procedures. Electors vote in secret, on pre-prepared ballot papers, on which they write the name and the number of the list they are voting for.
Designating polling stations
Polling stations are designated by the Republic Electoral Commission for a minimum of 100 and a maximum of 2,500 voters enrolled in the special voter registers.
Candidacy
Electoral lists may be proposed by groups of voters enrolled in the special voter register, by associations whose aims are pursued in the area of protecting national minority rights, and by national minority political parties.
An electoral list must be supported by the signatures of at least 1%, but no fewer than 50, of the voters enrolled in the special voter register. A voter may support the electoral list of only one proposer with their signature, and signatures of support are certified before the competent body.
Competences of the Republic Electoral Commission
RIK, among other things, organizes the technical preparations for the elections, prescribes the forms and rules for conducting the elections, designates polling stations, certifies electoral lists, determines the collective electoral list, forms polling boards, and determines and publishes the election results.
General deadlines
Calling the elections - no earlier than 120 and no later than 90 days before the expiry of the mandate of the last constituted national minority council
Holding the elections - no later than 15 days before the expiry of the mandate of the national minority council constituted last
Publishing the forms and rules for conducting electoral activities - within 5 days of the decision calling the elections
Determining the collective electoral list - no later than 10 days before election day
Closing the special voter register - no later than 15 days before election day
Report with the overall election results - within 96 hours of the close of the elections
Allocation of mandates - within 3 days of the final election results being determined
Constitutive session of the national minority council - within 20 days of the final election results being determined
The 2026 electoral calendar, deadline by deadline
Two dates are fixed by law: the elections must be called between 20 August and 19 September 2026, and held by 29 November at the latest. Everything else follows from the election day the minister sets.
If election day is
29 November 2026 is the last day on which the elections may legally be held. Elections are held on a Sunday.
Source: Law on National Minority Councils. The mandate of the last constituted national minority council expires on 18 December 2026; the elections must be held at least 15 days before that. Dates marked "approx." depend on when the Republic Electoral Commission determines the final results, which is not fixed to the day.
Observers at national minority council elections
The Law on National Minority Councils contains no provisions on election observation. Article 60 provides that representatives of the proposers of certified electoral lists may oversee the work of the bodies conducting the elections.
However, the corresponding application of the Law on the Election of Members of Parliament and the rules of the Republic Electoral Commission make it possible for domestic and international observers to observe the elections.
For direct elections, requests to observe may be submitted by: registered associations whose aims are pursued in the area of elections and the protection of human and minority rights; international and foreign organizations; representatives of foreign states.
For elections conducted through an electoral assembly, requests may be submitted by: registered associations whose aims are pursued in the area of elections and the protection of human and minority rights; international and foreign organizations.
For the elections held on 4 November 2018, the deadline for domestic observers to apply was 29 October, while the deadline for international observers was 24 October. For the elections held on 13 November 2022, the deadline for domestic observers was 5 November, while foreign observers could apply until 2 November.
Applications are submitted on the forms that the Republic Electoral Commission publishes on its website. When applying, observers specify their areas of observation, that is, whether they will follow the work of the Republic Electoral Commission, RIK's working bodies, polling boards and/or the electoral assembly.
However, the corresponding application of the Law on the Election of Members of Parliament and the rules of the Republic Electoral Commission make it possible for domestic and international observers to observe the elections.
For direct elections, requests to observe may be submitted by: registered associations whose aims are pursued in the area of elections and the protection of human and minority rights; international and foreign organizations; representatives of foreign states.
For elections conducted through an electoral assembly, requests may be submitted by: registered associations whose aims are pursued in the area of elections and the protection of human and minority rights; international and foreign organizations.
For the elections held on 4 November 2018, the deadline for domestic observers to apply was 29 October, while the deadline for international observers was 24 October. For the elections held on 13 November 2022, the deadline for domestic observers was 5 November, while foreign observers could apply until 2 November.
Applications are submitted on the forms that the Republic Electoral Commission publishes on its website. When applying, observers specify their areas of observation, that is, whether they will follow the work of the Republic Electoral Commission, RIK's working bodies, polling boards and/or the electoral assembly.
