DW: On May 11th, elections in Albania, 2,046 candidates for 140 seats in Parliament for the first time even vote in the diaspora

On May 11th 2025 in Albania, the new government is elected, which is expected to lead the country for the next four years. This year for the first time even the diaspora vote. In and outside Albania in the May 11th elections, 2025, they have 3 million and 713.761 Albanian citizens, of whom 114.642 vote for the first time.

These are the 11th elections in the Republic of Albania, following the arrival of democracy. There are 2,046 candidates in the race, for 140 seats in parliament.

diaspora vote

For the first time in this election, the diaspora also vote. This process is accomplished through mail. The immigrant vote will be counted at the Central Election Commission and will be counted as if the citizen had voted in the district, where he lived in Albania.

This process has caused numerous reactions because there has been dissatisfaction with political parties, which have accused the CEC of irregularities, such as. that the envelope has arrived without the ballot card or that it has not gone to the address.

Deal with SPAK

For the first time, the Central Election Commission has signed a protocol with the SPAK and the Prosecutor General. The agreement envisions joint measures for prevention, identification and prosecution of election-related criminal acts, as well as establishing mechanisms for fast and efficient exchange of information among the institutions involved.

Voting System

A new electoral system that includes a combination of closed and open lists has been adopted for these elections. About a third of the candidate's list is closed, and names are fixed by the mayor, while another two-thirds are open. For the latter, there will be no threshold. On the ballot sheet they are placed in alphabetical order, but after the vote count, they will be re-opened and most voted out./ DW/Periscopi/