2025–26 Republika Srpska presidential election

2025–26 Republika Srpska presidential election

23 November 2025
8 February 2026
(repeat in 17 municipalities)
Turnout35.77% ( 19.16 pp)
 
Candidate Siniša Karan Branko Blanuša
Party SNSD SDS
Popular vote 224,382 213,512
Percentage 50.53% 48.09%

President before election

Ana Trišić-Babić (acting)
SNSD

Elected President

Siniša Karan
SNSD

Early presidential elections were held in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 23 November 2025, and repeated ones in 17 municipalities on 8 February 2026. The elections were announced by the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina after the premature removal of then-President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik from office by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 12 June 2025. Dodik and his party, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), rejected the court's decision and initially refused to take part in the election. However, the SNSD later confirmed that it would participate.

The November election was initially won by SNSD member Siniša Karan, with 50.39% of the vote. Karan defeated the Serb Democratic Party candidate Branko Blanuša, who received 48.22% of the vote. It was the seventh consecutive victory for a SNSD candidate in the presidential elections. Despite being a virtual unknown, Blanuša lost by a small margin and won in Banja Luka, Bijeljina and Prijedor, the three major cities of Republika Srpska. The opposition accused the SNSD of voter fraud. In December 2025, the Central Election Commission decided to annul the election results in 17 municipalities at 136 polling stations, with the elections being repeated at those locations on 8 February 2026.

The repeated elections were also won by Karan, whose total vote share was 50.53%, compared to Blanuša's 48.09%.