URGENT: OPEN LETTER TO METRO VANCOUVER MP’S
Dear Metro Vancouver MP’s,
We are writing to you as constituents, as proud Canadian, and members of the Serbian-Canadian community in your electoral districts to bring an urgent and time-sensitive issue concerning democratic access and the voting rights of Serbian citizens living in Canada to your attention.
There are only three days remaining to address this issue. Serbian authorities may make a final decision on additional polling stations abroad on October 9, 2026. Immediate engagement by Canadian elected representatives and Global Affairs Canada could therefore be critical to ensuring that Vancouver is considered before the polling-station arrangements are finalized.
Serbia will hold parliamentary elections on October 25, 2026. Serbian citizens living abroad may vote only in person at designated polling stations; there is no postal or online voting option. On October 5, Serbia’s Republic Electoral Commission published its list of polling stations abroad. Vancouver has been excluded from the 2026 list, despite hundreds of eligible voters in the region having registered by the deadline. This exceeds the Commission’s own guideline of a minimum of 100 registered voters for establishing a polling station abroad.
The decision was made public only on October 4, leaving Serbian citizens living abroad with very little time to organize, seek clarification, contact authorities, or advocate for the establishment of additional polling stations before the October 9 deadline. This extremely short window is particularly challenging for diaspora communities that need to coordinate across different countries and time zones and communicate with both Serbian and Canadian authorities.
As a result, Serbian citizens living in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan who wish to vote in person may now have to travel thousands of kilometres to Eastern Canada, with the nearest available polling stations reportedly in Toronto and Ottawa. For many voters, including seniors, families with young children, people with disabilities, and those unable to take time off work, the cost, distance and logistical burden make voting effectively inaccessible.
This represents a significant change from the 2023 election, when Serbian citizens in Vancouver were able to exercise their right to vote locally. While the administration of Serbian elections is ultimately a matter for Serbian authorities, the removal of a polling station that previously served a substantial Canadian community raises a serious question about whether Serbian citizens living in Western Canada have meaningful access to their electoral rights.
There is also a lack of transparency surrounding the decision. The Serbian diplomatic mission in Canada and relevant Serbian authorities have not provided the community with clear information about how many voters registered in Western Canada, the criteria used to determine polling locations, or why Vancouver was excluded despite the number of registered voters.
As Canadians, we believe that free, fair, and accessible elections are fundamental to democracy. We fully understand that Canada should not interfere in Serbia’s domestic political affairs. However, this issue directly affects hundreds of people, many of whom are also Canadian citizens and constituents of Canadian Members of Parliament.
Given the extremely short timeline, we are asking the Government of Canada to raise this legitimate democratic-access concern with the Government of Serbia immediately, before October 9. Polling stations abroad operate with the agreement of the host country, and Canada can make clear that it has no objection to the establishment of a polling station in Vancouver.
@HedyFry @DonDavies @WadeGrant @pbainsy @TamaraJansenMP @ernieklassen @Taleeb @ZoeRoyer @randeepssarai @takovanpopta @gregorrobertson @JMcknightDelta @JennyKwanBC @braedencaley @terrybeech @ChakAuRichmond
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