Citizens expected at polls to participate in new local elections and local referendums

Citizens with the right to vote in nine localities of the country are expected today at the polling stations to elect their mayors. In one locality, voters will elect a new composition of the local council, and in two other localities local referendums on the recall of mayors will be held.

According to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), new local elections for the position of mayor are organized in the village of Costești and the commune of Ruseștii Noi in Ialoveni district, the village of Mașcăuți, Criuleni district, the commune of Sărătenii Vechi, Telenești district, the town of Taraclia, Taraclia district, the municipality of Orhei, Orhei district, the village of Topala, Cimișlia district, the village of Plop, Dondușeni district, and the commune of Frumușica, Florești district.

For the position of mayor, 38 candidates have been registered, of whom 25 are nominated by political parties and 13 are running as independents; nine of the candidates are women and 29 are men.

In the village of Copceac, Gagauzia, a new composition of the local council will be elected. For the position of councilor, 74 candidates have been registered, including 28 women and 46 men. Sixteen people are running as independents, while another 58 are on the lists of four political parties.

In the commune of Sadâc, Cantemir district, and the village of Hăsnășenii Mari, Drochia district, local referendums on the recall of mayors will be held. In total, four participants in the referendums have been registered. Around 70,000 voters are expected at the polls. The 40 polling stations are open between 07:00 and 21:00.

For these elections, the CEC printed a total of 69,821 ballot papers, of which 49,596 are in Romanian, 19,225 in Russian, 600 in Bulgarian, and 400 in Gagauz.

The elections will be monitored by 53 national observers accredited by the CEC.

A voter who, for health reasons or other valid reasons, cannot come to the polling station premises may request to vote using the mobile ballot box. On election day, requests are approved by the electoral bureau until 14:00, only upon presentation of a medical certificate.