The Central Election Commission of Kosovo organized the voter registration process for diaspora voters, who will have the opportunity to vote in Kosovo’s upcoming elections scheduled for February 9, 2025. This process aims to include a large number of citizens living abroad by offering them various methods to exercise their right to vote, such as voting by mail or physically participating at diplomatic missions. This engagement is expected to contribute to increased participation and representation of the diaspora in the electoral process.

During the upcoming election process in Kosovo, a total of 104,924 voters are expected to vote using different methods. The majority of voters, 67,421, will send their votes by mail to postal boxes outside Kosovo. Meanwhile, 17,104 voters are expected to send their votes by mail to postal boxes inside Kosovo, and 20,399 voters will vote physically at diplomatic missions. These projected figures reflect the diaspora’s commitment to participate in the election process by using the options and channels that suit them best.

Countries Leading with the Highest Number of Registered Diaspora Voters:

• Germany leads with the highest number of registered voters, 44,774, representing about 42.7% of the total diaspora voters. This highlights the strong presence and active engagement of the Kosovar diaspora in Germany.
• Switzerland follows with 27,248 registered voters (25.9%), also showing significant involvement of Kosovars living there.
• France, Sweden, Austria, and Italy follow, with numbers ranging from 3,810 to 4,629, collectively making up about 16.2% of the total.

Representation by Continents:

• Europe dominates, including most voters living in Germany, Switzerland, France, and neighboring countries such as Austria, Italy, and Nordic states.
• America contributes significantly with 2,509 voters, and Canada with 1,045 voters.
• Other regions such as Australia (145 voters), United Arab Emirates (22 voters), and some countries in Asia, Africa, and South America show smaller but diverse representation.

Trends by Regions:

• Western Europe has the highest concentration of voters, with countries like Germany, Switzerland, and Austria leading.
• Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark) contribute over 5,000 voters, reflecting active diaspora engagement in Northern Europe.
• Southeastern Europe, including Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, and North Macedonia, shows moderate involvement.

Although most voters are concentrated in European countries and North America, there is evidence of global engagement, with registered voters even from Kazakhstan (19 voters), New Zealand (10 voters), and South Sudan (7 voters).

The data shows that the Kosovar diaspora plays a crucial role in the election process, especially in countries like Germany and Switzerland, which together account for nearly 70% of all registered diaspora voters. This strong engagement underlines the importance of the diaspora in shaping Kosovo’s democratic processes and the need to continue improving access and facilitation of voting mechanisms for citizens living abroad.

The data is sourced from the Voter List for the Parliamentary Elections of the Republic of Kosovo – Central Election Commission.