4.3.5. Protecting the vote and election dispute resolution in passive suffrage Election dispute resolution in passive suffrage was gauged through four claims. The descriptive replies to these four claims were presented first (through grade averages and satisfaction percentages) and then through a synthetic indicator composed of these four claims (‘items’). These four claims were placed under the ‘funnel’ principle, from the broadest to the most narrowest and said: (1) Election participants may participate in the election process freely and without pressure; (2) Election rights of political parties and other participants in the election are protected by legal order; (3) Election Administration in Serbia (Republic Electoral Commission, City and Municipal electoral commissions, polling boards) solve election disputes initiated by participants in the election without discrimination and in accordance with the law and (4) the Administrative and Constitutional courts act independently and solve election disputes initiated by participants in the elections professionally and without discrimination. Generally speaking, citizens have shown moderate satisfaction with election dispute resolution in passive suffrage because the average score ranges from 3.31 to 3.80 while some segments among them, such as the freedom to stand for election, were assessed as good as nearly two-thirds of respondents gave a score of four or five. Also, 61% of respondents thought that the candidates’ suffrage is well protected and 17% of respondents assess the administration of justice as poor or very poor. Satisfaction is reduced as the questions are increasingly specific, so 55% of citizens are satisfied with the work of the election administration, with one in five citizens giving it ones or twos. The results are even worse for the Administrative and Constitutional Court, where the percentage of satisfied citizens was below 50% with 22% of citizens who considered their role as bad (8% of citizens did not respond to this question). Chart 4.3.5.1. Evaluation of protecting the vote and election dispute resolution in passive suffrage (average score) Political parties can participate in elections freely and without pressure 3.80 Electoral rights of political parties and other groups contesting the election are safeguarded by law 3.62 The Serbian electoral administration adjudicates electionrelated disputes brought by political parties and other groups contesting the election without discrimination and in compliance with the law The Administrative and Constitutional Court are independent and adjudicate election-related disputes brought by political parties and other groups contesting the election professionally and without discrimination 3.48 3.31 61