A total of 6,884 polling stations will be available for the Croatian parliamentary election on 17 April, 115 fewer than four years ago.

It is not the State Electoral Commission (DIP) that is responsible for determining the number of polling stations in Croatia, but the election commissions of the constituencies, which have decided to reduce the number of polling stations, probably at the suggestion of the municipal and city commissions, to ensure that voters do not have too few polling stations at their disposal, according to the DIP.

In Croatia’s ten constituencies, 6,544 polling stations will be open on election Wednesday. Most of them are located in constituencies 2 (854) and 7 (825), while constituency 1 has the fewest polling stations (365).

Temporarily registered voters in Croatia will vote in 102 special polling stations, voters in social care institutions in 91, prisoners in 28, seafarers in 15 and armed forces voters in two special polling stations.

No polling stations in Ukraine, Israel, Finland and Japan

Abroad, in constituency 11, which is intended for the diaspora, there will be 110 polling stations, two fewer than in 2020. Voting will take place in 41 countries, the same number as in the last parliamentary election.

Unlike the 2020 election, there will be no voting in Finland, Japan, Israel and Ukraine, but there will be polling stations in Chile, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa.

The DIP stated that polling stations in diplomatic and consular missions will be determined in cooperation with the Commission of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs for the preparation and coordination of parliamentary election, taking into account the possibility of setting up polling stations in individual missions.

When determining the polling stations abroad, the security situation in the host country and the possibility of guaranteeing the minimum conditions for the work of the electoral committees and the secrecy of the vote will be taken into account, according to the DIP.

Election abroad takes place on two days, three deputies are elected

The diaspora, i.e. Croatian citizens not residing in Croatia, will vote on two days, Tuesday 16 April and Wednesday 17 April. They will elect three of the 151 members of the Croatian parliament.

Of the 110 polling stations abroad, 43 are located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, two fewer than in 2020. In addition to the usual six cities, voting will also be possible in the north-eastern town of Orasje, where four polling stations will be open.

Mostar will have the most polling stations, 22 in total, two more than four years ago. It is the only city apart from Livno where the number of polling stations has not been reduced.

Compared to four years ago, there will be five instead of 10 polling stations in Vitez, four instead of six in Sarajevo, two instead of three in Tuzla, one instead of two in Banja Luka and four polling stations in Livno, the same number as in 2020. In determining the number of polling stations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we have followed the recommendations of the Foreign Ministry Commission, the DIP said.

Germany and Serbia with one more polling station than in 2020

There will be 12 polling stations in Germany, one more than in 2020. The Consulates General in Munich and Stuttgart will each have three (compared to two in the 2020 election), the Consulate General in Frankfurt and the Croatian Embassy in Berlin will each have two (as in 2020) and the Consulates in Hamburg and Düsseldorf will each have one (compared to two in 2020).

There will be four polling stations each in the USA and Australia, namely at the embassies in Washington and Canberra as well as at the consulates general in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago and in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

There will be three polling stations each in Italy and Serbia. In Italy, there will be one polling station each in Rome, Trieste and Milan, while in Serbia one will be open in Belgrade and two in Subotica.

There will be two polling stations each in Montenegro (Podgorica and Kotor), Austria (both at the embassy in Vienna), Hungary (Budapest and Pécs), Switzerland (Bern and Zurich) and Canada (Ottawa and Mississauga).

All other countries have one polling station each, including, for example, Denmark, Chile, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, China and Russia.

Voting abroad

Voters residing in Croatia who have temporarily registered at a polling station abroad or who have received a voting certificate outside their place of residence can vote at polling stations abroad.

Voters who are not resident in Croatia may vote at polling stations abroad if they are officially registered for the polling station in question because they have an electronic identity card with an address abroad or have registered at their own request.

If a voter who is not a resident of Croatia is not registered, they can apply for a voting certificate on the day of the election to prove their right to vote, according to the DIP.