As of 9:00 AM IST, Monday 26 October 2026. All results below are preliminary. They come from the CeSID/Ipsos sample projection and from the partial official count of Serbia's Republic Electoral Commission (RIK), as reported by RTS, The Guardian and Srpske Novine. The final, certified result has not been announced. Local times are Central European Time (IST minus 4 hours 30 minutes).
Serbia's long-dominant leader Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat in Sunday's snap parliamentary election, after projections showed the student-led "Student List – Students Win" heading for an outright majority in the 250-seat National Assembly. Crowds celebrated through the night in Belgrade and other cities. The Guardian described the vote as the end of Vučić's 12 years in power.
What the numbers say so far
| Source | Student List | United Serbia (Vučić) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| CeSID/Ipsos projection, 80.8% of sample (RTS) | 52.7%, 140 seats | 38.9%, 104 seats | No other major list cleared the threshold |
| CeSID/Ipsos seat projection, 96% of sample (Srpske Novine) | 140 seats | 103 seats | Minority lists 7 seats |
| RIK official count, 1:10 AM local (5:40 AM IST), 4,838 of 8,392 polling stations (57.65%) | 48.52% (895,964 votes) | 43.26% (798,780 votes) | Partial, preliminary |
A majority needs 126 seats. Every projection published so far puts the Student List above that line, which would let it form a government without partners. The official count shows a narrower gap than the projections, because RIK publishes results as polling stations report and the remaining stations were still being processed. Earlier CeSID/Ipsos estimates, on smaller parts of the sample, gave the Student List 138 seats, the figure The Guardian cited.
The smaller lists
According to Srpske Novine, the 96% CeSID/Ipsos projection gives seven seats to minority lists: three for the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, two for the Albanian Coalition, and one each for Rasim Ljajić's list and the SDA of Sandžak. Former prime minister Ivica Dačić's "Stability Factor" list had 2.46% in the partial RIK count. Dačić said his party was not satisfied but would "continue to fight for Serbia", RTS reported.
Vučić: "We have lost these elections"
Vučić spoke to supporters at his party headquarters at about 9:30 PM local time (about 2 AM IST on Monday). "We still do not have final results," he said, according to The Guardian. "On the basis of a sample … it is clear that we have lost these elections, the Student List has won, they will have between 135 and 140 seats and we will have 105."
Vučić resigned the presidency last month to lead his list into the snap vote, The Guardian reported. His quick concession surprised parts of the opposition. Marinika Tepić of the "European Serbia" list called it an "unexpected admission of defeat", RTS reported.
Record turnout and street celebrations
- Turnout: CeSID/Ipsos estimated 67.6% by 7 PM and 69.7% by the 8 PM close. The Guardian said that was the highest since the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1992. Serbia had 6,451,292 registered voters and 8,392 polling stations, according to RTS.
- Celebrations: people honked horns, cheered and hugged police officers in Belgrade, The Guardian reported. RTS said crowds broke through the fence around Pionirski Park, where a camp of ruling-party supporters known as "Ćacilend" had stood since April last year, and tore down tents. In Novi Sad, people held 16 minutes of silence for the victims of the 2024 railway station canopy collapse.
- Calls for calm: the Student List asked supporters to celebrate peacefully and reminded polling-board members that counting was not finished.
Who the students are
The movement grew out of protests that began after the concrete canopy at Novi Sad railway station collapsed in November 2024, killing 16 people. The students put up 250 candidates, from academics to athletes and farmers. Ilija Srdanović heads the list, and former basketball star Dejan Bodiroga is a candidate. "Dear Serbia, tonight the voice of the people is being heard," Belgrade University professor Radomir Saičić said for the students. "Tonight we celebrate victory, tomorrow we build the future."
Reactions from the region
- Hungary's prime minister Péter Magyar said he had phoned the Student List leaders to congratulate them, RTS reported.
- Montenegro's prime minister Milojko Spajić and president Jakov Milatović sent congratulations.
- Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik congratulated the Student List and thanked Vučić for his years of support for Republika Srpska.
Concerns on polling day
Election monitors reported problems during voting. Raša Nedeljkov of the monitoring group CRTA said that "a large number of irregularities continue to be recorded", including cases of ballots being photographed, attempted vote-buying and carousel voting, The Guardian reported.
What happens next
- RIK will keep publishing results as it processes the remaining polling-station records, and will then announce the final result.
- Once seats are confirmed, the new assembly will meet and the Student List is expected to nominate a prime minister. It has not yet said who that will be.
- The outcome matters beyond Serbia. Serbia is an EU candidate, and Vučić had tried to balance ties with the West, Russia and China.
Elsewhere in the region: Bulgaria's presidential election, held on the same day, is going to a 1 November runoff between incumbent Iliana Yotova and Andrey Gyurov, Anadolu Agency reported, after neither came close to an outright win.
Related reading on HorizonDesk
- Serbia's snap election: the student movement challenges Vučić
- Bulgaria votes for president as low turnout points to a runoff
- Russia, the US and Ukraine plan trilateral talks in November
Sources
- The Guardian: Serbian leader Aleksandar Vučić ousted by student movement in seismic election (25 Oct 2026)
- RTS: Ipsos and CeSID projection and live election-night updates (in Serbian, 25 Oct 2026)
- Srpske Novine: RIK at 1:10 AM: Student List 48.52, United Serbia 43.26 (26 Oct 2026)
- Anadolu Agency: Bulgaria's presidential election heads to 1 November runoff (26 Oct 2026)
