On Sunday, October 12, 2025, the people of Kosovo once again exercised their democratic rights, heading to polling stations across the country to elect new mayors and municipal assembly members in all 38 municipalities. With more than two million eligible voters registered, the day was marked by a calm and orderly process, as Kosovo’s democracy took center stage amid a tense political climate and the lingering uncertainty following the February parliamentary elections earlier in the year.
By 7:00 a.m., 938 polling centers and a total of 2,625 polling stations had opened their doors, ready to welcome voters from every corner of the country. According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), preparations had been thorough, with technical improvements made to the results system to avoid the disruptions that marred the parliamentary elections of February 9, 2025. CEC chairperson Kreshnik Radoniqi confidently reported that the process began without any major incidents, and as of 11:00 a.m., voter turnout stood at 7.84%—a touch lower than the 8.2% recorded at the same time during the previous local elections in 2021.
“There was no report of irregularities that would endanger the voting process,” Radoniqi stated during a media conference, providing reassurance to voters and observers alike. The CEC also confirmed that all municipal counting centers were fully equipped, reflecting lessons learned from past technical hiccups.
The importance of the day was not lost on Kosovo’s top political leaders, who made a point of casting their ballots at their respective polling stations. President Vjosa Osmani, who voted at the Technical Faculty in Pristina at 10:00 a.m., described the election as “an important day for Kosovo’s democracy.” She added, “The higher the turnout and the smoother the process, the stronger our democracy becomes.”
Acting Prime Minister and leader of the Vetevendosje party, Albin Kurti, voted earlier at 9:00 a.m. at the Faculty of Law in Pristina. He urged citizens to participate fully in shaping the future of their municipalities, declaring, “We vote to decide on the next four years in our communities. Besides being citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, we are also residents of our municipalities.” Kurti delivered his statement in Albanian, Serbian, and English, emphasizing unity and inclusion.
Other leading figures were also visible at the polls: Memli Krasniqi, leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), voted at the "Hasan Prishtina" Primary School in the capital at 10:00 a.m.; Lumir Abdixhiku, leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), cast his vote with his wife at the "Faik Konica" Primary School at 10:30 a.m.; Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), was among the earliest, voting at 8:00 a.m. at the “Heronjtë e Dukagjinit” School in Gllogjan; and Fatmir Limaj, President of NISMA Social Democratic Party, voted at 11:00 a.m. at the "Faik Konica" school in Pristina.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Dimal Basha, voted at 1:00 p.m. at the "Tefik Çanga" School in Ferizaj, underscoring the day’s significance for both citizens and the nation’s political leadership. The participation of these leaders was seen as a call for citizen engagement, as the 2025 local elections were widely regarded as crucial for all political parties—potentially shifting the balance of power at the municipal level.
Security and the integrity of the election were top priorities. The State Prosecutor’s Office deployed around 100 prosecutors and officials across the country to monitor for potential irregularities. As the Prosecutor Office announced, “Approximately 100 state prosecutors and officials from the prosecutorial system have been deployed to address any irregularities that may arise during this year’s local elections. Every suspected case of voter fraud or manipulation will be reported immediately.”
The Kosovo Police, too, were fully engaged, enacting their operational order “Local Elections 2025,” which covered four phases: the pre-election period, campaign security, election day security, and the post-election period, including the transportation of sensitive materials. Institutions such as the Electoral Panel for Complaints and Submissions, the Kosovo Judicial Council, and the Independent Media Commission also played active roles in ensuring the smooth running of the process, as reported by Reporteri.net.
For this election, the CEC certified a total of 5,626 candidates: 206 for mayoral positions and the remainder for municipal assemblies. The political field was crowded, with 93 entities—32 political parties, 32 citizens’ initiatives, 2 coalitions, and 27 independent candidates—vying for voters’ attention. Each citizen was required to complete two ballots: one for mayor and one for municipal assembly. In municipalities where no candidate achieves more than 50% of the vote, a second round is scheduled for November 9, 2025.
The Belgrade-backed Srpska Lista party was a prominent player, contesting all ten Serb-majority municipalities as well as Obilic. In North Mitrovica, groups of citizens, accompanied by Srpska Lista officials, voted collectively—a practice seen in previous elections in Serb-majority areas. Although Srpska Lista had boycotted the extraordinary elections of April 2023 and recall votes in 2024, it returned to the fray for this year’s local elections, signaling a new phase in Serb community engagement with Kosovo’s institutions.
In total, 2,069,098 voters were registered in Kosovo, with around 44,000 living abroad and registered to vote by mail. The postal voting process ran from September 17 to October 11, giving the diaspora a chance to participate. All polling stations closed at 7:00 p.m., with preliminary results expected later in the evening.
Despite the tense political climate, as Kosovo still awaits the formation of new institutions following the February parliamentary elections, the local elections unfolded with a sense of cautious optimism. No major irregularities were reported, and the day’s events were characterized by a commitment to transparency and democratic values.
As the ballots are counted and the results awaited, one thing is clear: the people of Kosovo, through peaceful participation and collective determination, continue to shape the future of their communities and their country—one vote at a time.