The May 11 elections marked the first time that the Albanian diaspora was included in the vote, a process that cost the state budget over 13.4 million euros. Of the 245,935 envelopes distributed worldwide, only about 200,000 were returned as valid votes. The high cost, including postal deliveries, advertising and technological systems, has sparked debate about the real profitability of this operation in relation to its impact on the electoral outcome.
One of the direct consequences of the electoral process was the recount of votes in four districts of the country, Tirana, Durrës, Elbasan and Fier, as a result of irregularities found. In the Fier district, it was discovered that votes had been unfairly distributed between candidates of the same party, which affected the change of the initial winner.
The SP candidate, Zegjine Çaushi, initially declared the winner, lost her mandate after the recount to Maldrita Bardho by a margin of 10 votes. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Ceno Klosi resulted with 831 fewer votes than initially counted.
The recount of votes highlighted not only systemic problems in the electoral administration, but also internal political tensions and allegations of manipulation. Opposition candidates such as Ilir Alimehmeti, Mimoza Hajdarmataj and Lisandër Hoxha requested a recount due to serious errors in the registration of votes. Despite the efforts of the Central Election Commission and an expensive recount process with an additional cost of 215 thousand euros, expectations for profound changes in the final result remain low.
Millions of euros for the diaspora vote
For the first time in 30 years of political transition, the Albanian diaspora had the opportunity to exercise its right to vote in the parliamentary elections of May 11, 2025.
According to official data from the Central Election Commission, voting envelopes were distributed to the addresses of over 245 thousand Albanian migrants around the world, who continue to have an Albanian passport alongside their foreign one, or live and operate in host countries in a regular and legal manner.
However, according to CEC data, out of the 245,935 voting envelopes sent to Albanian citizens, only around 200,000 of them were returned to Albania as valid votes.
The majority of ballots were sent to Italy (37.1%) and Greece (27.8%), while the rest went to Germany, the US and Britain.
Through an official response, the CEC has informed “shteg.org” that the total budget spent solely on enabling the Diaspora vote is 13.4 million euros, an amount that included over 9.3 million euros for international mail, more than 130 thousand euros for the advertising campaign and around 163 thousand euros for setting up the online system.
According to economic expert Zef Preçi, the costs of a diaspora vote are five to ten times higher than a vote cast within the country. He describes this as a heavy financial burden, which is incompatible with the country’s current administrative and logistical capacity, suggesting that the model should be reviewed.
“International experience shows that national elections, as recently as a decade ago, typically cost around $1-2 per registered voter. Out-of-country voting operations often cost at least 5 to 10 times more, depending on how a voter casts their ballot, resulting in a cost of $5 to $20 per voter. This can make out-of-country voting prohibitively expensive for many countries, as was the case in our country on May 11,” says Preçi.
But, despite the fact that more than a month has passed since the voting process took place, the ballot boxes of the Tirana, Durrës, Elbasan and Fier districts were subjected to the recount process.
Minister with suspended votes
After numerous complaints from the opposition and several majority candidates, the Complaints and Sanctions Commission ordered a recount of votes in four districts.
In the Fier district, the vote recount process was closed yesterday, July 2, 2025, while the recount included 587 voting centers and resulted in Socialist Party candidates receiving votes from each other in an irregular manner.
SP candidate Zegjine Çaushi was one of the winning SP candidates in this district after May 11, but during the recount it turned out that 48 votes had been unfairly counted against her, while Çaushi’s rival candidate within the SP, Maldrita Bardho, had 26 votes unfairly taken away.
The correction of these figures changed the final result. However, Bardho decided not to accept the mandate, considering Çaushi as more worthy of representation.
“I will gladly leave my seat to my colleague and friend, Zegjine Çaushi – Zegjine who has probably fought more for the team than for herself during this campaign, being the target of undeserved attacks from old politics, the one that is afraid of new voices. Zegjine, with whom I am only 10 votes apart, and who undoubtedly deserves to be in the Assembly hall.” – declared Maldrita Bardho.
However, this decision was described by commentators as an act of political irresponsibility, due to the lack of clarity about the legal manner of handing over the mandate after certification.
Zegjine Çaushi is known more for her public clashes with the Democratic Party candidate, Gazment Bardhi, than for her engagement in the SP structures. While Maldrita Bardho has a lower public profile and limited activity on social networks, she made her first post on Facebook on March 12, 2025, the day the SP candidate list was announced. She has been seen mainly reposting content from Minister Balluku, who was also running in Fier.
Another socialist candidate, Ceno Klosi, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, was found to have irregularly received 831 votes. Initially, 16,638 votes were counted as valid, but after a recount, 15,807 resulted.
On the other hand, in Tirana and Durrës, opposition candidates denounced manipulations that, according to them, have significantly affected the rankings, such as the case of Ilir Alimehmeti, who lost a mandate by a narrow margin after the incorrect reporting of dozens of votes.
The recount process is taking place at the “Farie Hoti” Sports Palace in Tirana and includes 2,323 ballot boxes, of which 85 belong to the diaspora. It is being carried out by 24 counting groups and is expected to last until the end of July. The cost of this process is estimated at around 215 thousand euros , including technical equipment, the online broadcast system, logistics and auxiliary materials.
Despite the volume of work and expenses, expectations for significant changes in the balance of mandates remain minimal. The Socialist Party continues to maintain its majority in the Assembly, while the opposition sees these developments as indicators of a compromised electoral system.
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