Alegeri parlamentare 2025

Moldovan Central Electoral Commission: parliamentary elections valid; CEC president provides details about polling stations where bomb alerts took place

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) has said that, by 16:00, over 1,151,000 voters had exercised their right to vote. According to legal provisions, once the turnout rate exceeds one-third of the voters registered on the electoral lists, the election can be declared valid.

“The today's election can be declared valid. Active voting is taking place in all electoral districts across the country, with the highest turnout recorded in the Donduseni and Soroca regions, where over 38 per cent and over 34 per cent of voters, respectively, have voted,” Caraman said.

The CEC president noted that over 280,000 voters, which accounts for over 40 per cent, had voted in Chisinau.

A number of 9,300 electors voted so far at the polling stations established for citizens from the left bank of the Dniester.

As for the congestion on the bridges over the Dniester, the CEC informs that the police are present on site and are managing the situation to prevent potential risks.

As many 170,000 electors voted at the polling stations established abroad. The polling station in Tokyo, Japan, was closed at 3:00 PM (Chișinău time), where 91 voters participated in the election. The polling station in Beijing (China) has also finished its work.

“We announce the opening of polling stations on the East Coast of the United States. The last polling stations will open at 17:00 (Moldova time). Four of them are in the USA and one in Canada. We welcome the mobilization of citizens in overseas polling stations. The CEC, along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has provided all polling stations with a sufficient number of ballots, so that all voters can exercise their right to vote,” Caraman also said.

The head of the institution provided details about the foreign polling stations where bomb alerts were registered – Brussels (Belgium), Rome and Genoa (Italy), Bucharest (Romania), Asheville (USA) and Alicante (Spain):

“Responsible institutions quickly intervened, and the voters and members of the electoral bodies were evacuated according to established rules. The voting process was suspended for short periods, to conduct necessary checks and ensure the full security of citizens, as well as the smooth running of the electoral process. Voting in these stations continues safely, except for two stations in Brussels, where the process remains suspended.”

According to the General Police Inspectorate, 141 cases of electoral law violations have been recorded so far:

• 3 cases of unauthorized electoral display;

• 8 cases of electoral agitation;

• 5 cases regarding the transportation of voters;

• 8 cases of reasonable suspicion of voters’ bribery;

• 58 cases of photographing the ballot;

• 6 cases of ballot spoiling;

• 35 cases regarding the absence of voters in the electoral list;

• 1 case of stamp damage.

The CEC repeatedly emphasizes the need to comply with the legislation, noting   that electoral agitation is strictly forbidden on election day. Also, the institution   specified that the process of submitting requests for voting at the voter's location had concluded at 14:00.