Who can vote in elections in Montenegro?

A Montenegrin citizen can vote from the age of 18 if the person has had at least two years of residence in Montenegro. The reviewed rules contain no general duty to vote and do not hold a person responsible for the voting decision or for not voting.

How does voting work in elections in Montenegro?

The voter presents a biometric identity card or passport and casts one secret vote for one list or, in a presidential election, one candidate. Parliamentary and municipal ballots do not allow a preference vote for an individual candidate. Voting is free, and election materials are provided without fees.

How are seats distributed in parliamentary and municipal elections in Montenegro?

Political parties, coalitions and citizen groups submit lists, and mandates are distributed proportionally using successive quotients of votes divided by 1, 2, 3 and so on. The regular parliamentary threshold is 3% of valid votes, while special thresholds apply to certain minority lists, including a 0.7% parliamentary threshold for eligible minority lists and 0.35% for the Croatian community.

How can a voter challenge an election result in Montenegro?

A voter, candidate or list submitter can file an election complaint within 72 hours. Complaints go first to the competent municipal or state election body, depending on the challenged decision, and the Constitutional Court is the final election-complaint instance.

Elections in Montenegro

Elections in Montenegro choose representatives for the national parliament, municipalities and the office of President. Montenegrin citizens aged 18 or older who have had at least two years of residence in Montenegro can vote. Parliamentary and municipal elections use proportional list voting, while the President is elected directly.

Tip

Treat the election type, voter-register entry and voting method as separate checks. For parliamentary or municipal elections, choose one list rather than an individual candidate; for a presidential election, choose one candidate and be prepared for a possible second round. Check your polling details early because register corrections and election complaints have short deadlines.

bySara&Aleksandar

Montenegro holds parliamentary elections for the Skupština Crne Gore, presidential elections and municipal elections for the assemblies of municipalities, the capital and the royal capital. Parliamentary and municipal mandates normally last four years. The Skupština has 81 MPs and uses one national electoral district. Each municipality forms one electoral district, and a municipal assembly has 30 councillors plus one additional councillor for every 5,000 registered voters. The President serves a five-year term and may be elected for a maximum of two terms. The president of a municipality or mayor is not directly elected; the relevant municipal assembly elects that office for four years.