Skopje, 2 November 2025 (MIA) - The country’s 2025 local elections runoff is taking place in the country on Sunday.

Voters will elect mayors in 32 municipalities and the City of Skopje, and a re-vote for municipal councillors will be organized in three polling stations in the municipality of Shuto Orizari.  Voting for mayors in Gostivar, Vrapchishte, Centar Zhupa, and Mavrovo, will not be held, where the process will be repeated within 60 days after the completion of the local elections.

In the runoff, voters will elect mayors in the City of Skopje and in 32 municipalities, including Aerodrom, Bogovinje, Brvenica, Valandovo, Vinica, Debar, Debarca, Demir Kapija, Karposh, Kichevo, Konche, Kochani, Krushevo, Kumanovo, Lozovo, Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Mogila, Negotino, Probishtip, Rankovce, Rosoman, Struga, Studenichani, Tetovo, Centar, Cheshinovo-Obleshevo, Chucher Sandevo, Shuto Orizari, Dolneni, Dojran, and Zrnovci.

A total of 1,013,375 voters are eligible to vote in the second round of the local elections. Of these, 474,304 are registered in the City of Skopje.

In Skopje’s municipalities of Centar, Aerodrom, and Karposh, there will be two ballots, one to elect the mayor of Skopje and another for the local municipal mayor. In Shuto Orizari, voters at three polling stations will vote for mayors and re-vote for councilors. In the remaining municipalities, voting will be only for mayor.

A total of 1,598 international and foreign observers will monitor the November 2 runoff of the 2025 local elections, including 933 foreign and 651 international observers.

On election day, polling stations will open at 7 am and close at 7 pm.

Voters at the polling station will be able to show up to vote only once. Voting is conducted by secret ballot, and as in previous elections, voter identification will be carried out not only with an ID card or passport but also using fingerprint authentication devices.

The State Election Commission (SEC) will publish preliminary results from the local elections successively, based on electronic submissions from municipal election commissions, while results based on official records from the commissions are released within 12 hours after polls close.

The October 19 local elections ended with 44 mayors and councils elected in almost all municipalities, except in Shuto Orizari, where re-voting will take place. In the municipalities of Gostivar, Vrapchishte, Centar Zhupa, and Mavrovo, no mayor was elected because the required turnout of at least one-third of registered voters was not reached in the first round on October 19. In these municipalities, a new election procedure for electing mayors will begin within 60 days of the release of the final results of the 2025 local elections, in line with the Electoral Code.

In total, 22 parties, 19 coalitions, and 119 independent groups or candidates are taking part in the 2025 local elections, including both rounds.

Photo: archive