Low and unequal voter turnout harms democracy. It may be important to critically evaluate official voter turnout data, which often undervalues election participation due to administrative and migration-related factors. This is not an issue only in Serbia but also the broader region.

Voter turnout in Serbia is closer to European averages than often assumed, potentially reaching three-quarters of present voters. Inequalities between voters and abstainers persist, with older, more educated, higher-income, and politically and civically engaged individuals more likely to vote.

The government should revise the voter registry and open a public debate on effective diaspora voting rights. Parties should focus on strategic voter mobilisation, reaching out to youth and marginalised groups. Civil society organisations should promote civic engagement as a way to stimulate voting.

Parliaments are meant to represent different voices and interests of the people. However, they can also systematically exclude or underrepresent segments of the population. This study examines how effectively the Serbian Parliament fulfils its potential for comprehensive social representation.

The electoral system ensures good representativeness for political lists, but the parliament lacks social balance. It favours men, highly educated, middle-aged individuals, residents of Belgrade, urban populations, and the upper classes. These systemic disparities persist across all parties, indicating systemic disparities.

The electoral system should adopt preferential voting, enhance geographical representation by adding more electoral districts, and ensure MP replacements maintain gender balance. Political parties should offer more diverse candidates, including marginalized groups, and grant greater autonomy to local branches