Polling stations open as Croatians vote for next president

(Photo: HINA/ Pool/Damir SENČAR/ ds)

ZAGREB, 29. Dec 2024. (Hina) – On Sunday at 7:00 am, the eighth presidential election commenced in Croatia, with eight candidates vying for the role.

Polling stations will remain open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.

In addition to voting within Croatia, Croatian citizens abroad can cast their votes in 38 countries, nine fewer than five years ago. A total of 3,762,224 voters are eligible to participate in the election.

Voters will decide whether to grant a second term to the incumbent president, Zoran Milanović, backed by the SDP and its coalition partners, or choose one of his challengers.

The other candidates include Miro Bulj (MOST), independent Tomislav Jonjić, Ivana Kekin (Možemo), Branka Lozo (DOMiNO), Dragan Primorac (HDZ and partners), and independents Marija Selak Raspudić and Niko Tokić Kartelo.

The State Electoral Commission (DIP), which oversees the election process, has encouraged citizens to vote and exercise their constitutional rights.

“We urge everyone to ensure the election proceeds peacefully and in a democratic atmosphere,” said DIP Vice-President Vesna Fabijančić Križanić.

Voters in Croatia can cast their ballots at over 6,500 regular polling stations and 123 special polling stations designated for prisoners, ship crews, and residents in social care institutions.

As in the 2019 election, there are no special polling stations within the Croatian Armed Forces; military personnel will vote in their places of residence.

Polling stations will close at 7:00 pm, marking the end of the two-day electoral silence during which campaigning, publishing election forecasts, or sharing unofficial results is prohibited.

Ballot Paper with Eight Presidential Candidates

At polling stations, each voter will receive a ballot paper listing the eight presidential candidates in alphabetical order. Voters indicate their choice by marking the number next to their preferred candidate’s name.

The President of Croatia is elected through a majority system, requiring more than half of all votes cast. If no candidate achieves a majority, the two leading candidates will proceed to a second round of voting on 12 January 2025, fourteen days later.

DIP plans to release the first election results at 8:00 pm, just an hour after polling stations close, with updates every ten minutes thereafter.

“We anticipate knowing with certainty by 10:00 pm whether a second round will be necessary,” added Fabijančić Križanić.

DIP will also publish voter turnout data at noon and 5:00 pm on election day.

Five years ago, 15.75% of voters (approximately 550,000 people) had cast their votes by noon, rising to 36.36% (around 1,343,000 people) by 5:00 pm.

Employers operating on election day are reminded to allow their employees sufficient time to visit polling stations.

Around 13,400 domestic observers and five international observers—two each from the United States and Lithuania and one from Georgia—are monitoring the election process. Approximately 44,000 citizens have been enlisted to administer the election.

Polling Stations in Australia Close Early

Two hours after polls opened in Croatia, at 9:00 am local time, voting concluded at three polling stations in Australia: Canberra, Sydney, and Melbourne.

Voting at these stations began on Saturday at 9:00 pm Croatian time.

In contrast, the last polling stations to open and close abroad are in Chicago and Los Angeles, where voting concludes at 2:00 am and 4:00 am Croatian time on Monday, respectively.