Serbia's snap parliamentary election saw its highest voter turnout in decades on Sunday, as a student-backed opposition movement sought to end the Serbian Progressive Party's (SNS) rule under longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic.
The election commission reported turnout of 64.9%, the highest since Yugoslavia's breakup in 1992, although the figures did not indicate which side benefited.
Polls closed at 8pm local time, with preliminary results expected later in the evening.
The election follows nearly two years of student-led protests sparked by the November 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad that killed 16 people.
Demands for accountability subsequently expanded into broader opposition to alleged government corruption and repression, accusations denied by Vucic and the SNS.
The Student List, led by Novi Sad University professor Ilija Srdanovic, includes academics, doctors, educators and other professionals, many without political experience.
Its platform calls for institutional reforms, accountability for officials involved in suppressing protests and reduced political influence over public institutions.
Several established opposition parties have supported the movement rather than fielding candidates.
Meanwhile, Vucic, seeking to return as prime minister after serving two presidential terms, has campaigned on economic development, higher pensions, increased public-sector salaries and investment in healthcare.
Independent election monitors reported widespread procedural concerns and allegations of intimidation during Sunday's voting.
Watchdog CRTA recorded pressure on voters or election workers at nearly one-third of 500 monitored polling stations, alongside failures to protect ballot secrecy.
Another monitoring organisation, CeSID, received approximately 260 reports of potential irregularities, including ballot photography, group voting and identification problems.
Reports also emerged of attacks against election observers and journalists, while allegations of organised voting irregularities surfaced in Nis.
Police deployed around election commission headquarters in Belgrade, closing nearby streets as prosecutors urged participants to avoid violence.
Long queues formed across Serbia and at overseas polling stations, including in Slovenia, Germany, France and the United States.
Approximately 6.45 million voters were eligible to elect 250 lawmakers from 18 competing lists.
A parliamentary majority requires 126 seats, leaving Serbia's political direction dependent on the election results.