CEC announces how it will ease voting outside Kosovo

At least 22 different states of the world, the Central Election Commission (KQZ) has seen it open from a mailbox for the purposes of voting outside Kosovo.

Such a request, The CEC will submit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, which under the Law for General Elections will have to help this institution in opening mailboxes.

But why should post boxes be opened in various states, and what is their impact on the voting process outside Kosovo?

CEC spokesman Valmir Elezi has told the Online Economy that opening mailboxes in various states is necessary legally, while in practical terms the mailbox will facilitate the voting process outside Kosovo.

He said these mailboxes will serve to provide voting opportunities for citizens who register successfully for voting abroad and who choose the way of voting to send the ballot to the mailbox outside Kosovo.

In addition to being considered an easy way to vote, according to him this has minimal costs.

“According to the Law for General Elections, during the application period to register as voters outside Kosovo, at the moment of voter registration can be determined individually for the way they vote. Three possibilities are offered by the law: (1) physically in one of Kosovo's diplomatic representatives (2) by sending the mail ballot to the CEC mailbox in Kosovo, and (3) by sending mail balloting to one of the CEC's open mailboxes through and with the help of diplomatic representatives outside Kosovo. Therefore, the CEC's decision serves to provide the opportunity for voting for citizens who register successfully and choose the way they vote by sending the ballot to the mailbox outside Kosovo”, Elesi said.

Elez also showed recent data from the period of voter registration application outside Kosovo. According to data, the largest number of registered citizens is to send the ballot to the mailbox outside Kosovo.

“is continuing the period of voter registration application outside Kosovo, which started 29 August and will be completed on December 26th 2024. According to data, by November 14th, via electronic platform (http://diaspora.kqz-x.org) has been accepted about 16,100 census requests, out of which 15,014 and another 1,079 have been refused. In most cases rejected, applicants have not been photographed holding the ID simultaneously. Out of 15,014 approved applications, 4,293 Kosovo citizens are registered to physically vote on diplomatic representation, 1,937 are registered to send the ballot package to the CEC mailbox in Kosovo and 8,784 are registered to send the ballot package to the post box outside Kosovo”, Elez announced.

The vote outside Kosovo will take place on several deadlines, depending on which way voters are scheduled during the census.

1. The diplomatic representation vote is organised the day before election day in Kosovo, this time on February 8th 2025. The vote starts at 7: 00 p.m. and closes at 7: 00 p.m., local time at the site. Counting these ballots takes place in Kosovo.

2. Votes outside Kosovo, sent by mail to the CEC mailbox in Kosovo, are accepted by the CEC until the next day of election day at 1600, provided it has the stamp of delivery before election day. So this voting period begins on January 9, 2025, and ends on February 8, 2025.

3. While votes sent via mail to the mailbox outside Kosovo, opened by diplomatic representatives, with the CEC's authorization, are accepted by teams sending the CEC -- only those that have reached the mailbox, later until the time of closing seats on diplomatic representation. This period of voting begins on January 9th and ends on February 8, 2025.