Demographic shifts change Albania’s electoral map: Tirana gains one MP as Korça loses one
Tirana will be represented by an additional MP in Albania’s next Parliament following the May 11, 2025, elections, reflecting the capital’s growing population. Meanwhile, Korça’s representation will decrease, losing one seat due to population decline. The Central Election Commission (CEC) has drafted a decision on seat redistribution, set to be discussed in tomorrow’s Regulatory Commission meeting. Under the new distribution, Tirana will have 37 seats, up from 36, while Korça’s seats will drop from 11 to 10.
Why is this important: Tirana’s population concentration highlights its political importance, now accounting for over one-fourth of the Parliament’s 140 MPs. This dominance has prompted discussions, particularly among ruling Socialist Party officials, about introducing electronic voting in the capital to expedite election results. Advocates argue that electronic voting could produce results within an hour after polls close, bypassing the traditional lengthy process.
Context: Currently, ballot boxes are transported to regional counting centers instead of being tallied on-site. These centers are managed by political party-nominated counters, often accused of deliberately slowing or expediting the process depending on party interests. As a result, election results are typically delayed by at least 48 hours. Pilot programs for electronic voting in previous elections have been deemed successful, with post-election device checks confirming 100% accuracy. However, opposition parties, particularly the Democratic Party, have raised concerns about potential manipulation, citing losses in pilot areas as evidence.
The CEC has yet to decide whether electronic voting will be implemented in Tirana, with cost considerations playing a significant role. Fully implementing the system across all 12 electoral districts remains financially unfeasible.
Redistribution: The redistribution formula for parliamentary seats is based on Albania’s population data, as recorded by the Civil Registry. The total population of 4.627 million is divided by 140 MPs to calculate the average number of citizens per mandate. Each district’s population is then divided by this average to determine its representation.
This year’s redistribution leaves representation unchanged in other regions. Korça’s reduction highlights broader demographic shifts, with urban centers like Tirana continuing to attract a growing share of the population. The Regulatory Commission is expected to finalize its decision on the proposal during the upcoming review.
The shift in representation underscores the increasing political weight of Albania’s urban centers, while raising questions about the challenges and costs of modernizing the electoral process to meet demands for efficiency and transparency.
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