DOC // Published in Official Journal of Moldova: new regulations on postal voting, organization of elections in Gagauzia Autonomous Territorial Unit enter into force

The new regulations on postal voting and the organization of elections in the Gagauzia Autonomous Territorial Unit (UTA Gagauzia) entered into force today. The promulgation decree and the Law amending the Electoral Code were published in the Official Journal of Moldova.

The draft aims to consolidate the electoral regulatory framework, by clarifying existing procedures, eliminating gaps identified in electoral practice and introducing mechanisms to increase transparency, fairness, integrity and efficiency at all stages of the electoral process.

A new chapter is dedicated to alternative voting ways, in particular postal voting. The draft introduces definitions regarding postal voting, remote identification of voters by digital means and the electoral list for postal voting. At the same time, a separate electoral council is established for organizing postal voting. Voters residing abroad will be able to opt for postal voting based on a prior registration procedure and eligibility verification.

Another amendment concerns the way of electing deputies to the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia. The draft provides for a switch from the single‑member system to a proportional one, similar to the system used for electing local councils. To ensure the stability of the electoral framework and a gradual transition, the elections of deputies to the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia, scheduled for 15 November 2026, will be held, for the last time, under the majority system.

The draft also strengthens the status of the Central Electoral Council of Gagauzia by clarifying its responsibilities and integrating it into the unified system of electoral administration. The institution will consist of at least seven and at most eleven members. The designated persons will have to meet the same eligibility conditions and be subject to the same verification procedures provided by law for office holders and candidates for public positions.

The document also contains measures to prevent the use of administrative resources for electoral purposes. Central and local public authorities will be required to adopt administrative acts that transparently establish the conditions for making available premises intended for meetings with voters. They will have to ensure a minimum number of rooms that can be used by electoral competitors under equal conditions. At the same time, meetings with voters will have to be organized outside the working hours of public institutions, in order to prevent the abusive use of administrative resources in electoral campaigns.

Adjustments are also provided regarding the exercise of the right to vote. Registration at domicile or temporary residence will have to be carried out at least three months before election day for the voter to be able to vote on the basis of this data.

The draft also amends the rules on managing accounts used in electoral campaigns and by initiative groups. The deadlines and procedures for opening, operating, suspending and closing accounts marked “Electoral fund” and “Meant for the initiative group” are adjusted, taking into account the working schedule of banking institutions and the experience gained in recent elections. At the same time, electoral competitors will be able to use, in addition to bank accounts, payment accounts provided by service providers authorized by the National Bank of Moldova.

The draft also includes amendments regarding the registration of candidates, formulated following the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission in its Final Report on the parliamentary elections of  September 28, 2025. Thus, if the exclusion of candidates declared ineligible affects compliance with the minimum quota for the representation of both sexes, electoral competitors will be granted a period to adjust their lists and bring them in line with legal requirements.

In drafting the legislative initiative, the authors of the document drew on the proposals formulated by the Central Electoral Commission following the post‑electoral assessments of the 2024 elections and the 2025 parliamentary elections. The initiative also transposes the normative solutions necessary to implement Constitutional Court Decision No. 8 of July 9, 2026. The authors of the draft organized public consultations both in Chisinau and in Comrat.