Structure over symbolism: Organizational asymmetry and diaspora mobilization in Albania’s 2025 postal vote

Albania’s 2025 parliamentary elections introduced postal voting for citizens abroad for the first time, enfranchising 245,935 registered diaspora voters. The Socialist Party won 61.14 per cent of valid diaspora votes despite holding only eight physical meetings abroad, while the Democratic Party organized 15 rallies yet secured just 23.55 per cent, a collapse of 10.69 per cent points relative to its domestic result. New-entrant formations held 43 in-person events across 26 cities, outperforming domestic baselines yet unable to cross the mandate threshold. This article argues that diaspora enfranchisement in competitive authoritarian contexts magnifies existing organizational asymmetries when participation is high-friction rather than equalizing the field. Drawing on 66 diaspora events, Central Election Commission data across 12 districts and 77 countries, and documentary evidence from a leaked party voter database, the article proposes a typology of three mobilization strategies: Structural, Symbolic, and Grassroots, differentiated by organizational depth and campaign visibility. The findings contribute to the emerging literature on organizational asymmetry and diaspora voting in hybrid regimes and qualify digital democratization claims about new entrants’ capacity to compete in high-friction external voting environments.