Voted by Moldova's parliament: Electoral Code supplemented with provisions on postal voting, organization of elections in Gagauz autonomy

The Electoral Code has been supplemented with new regulations on postal voting and the organization of elections in the Autonomous Territorial Unit (UTA) Gagauzia, aimed at strengthening the transparency, fairness and efficiency of the electoral process. These provisions are included in the draft law amending the Electoral Code, approved by the parliament in the second reading today.

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

Another amendment concerns the way of electing lawmaker to the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia (local parliament). The draft provides for a shift from a single-member majority system to a proportional system, similar to the one 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 November 15, 2026 will be held, for the last time, under the majority system.

The report on the draft law was presented by Igor Chiriac, a member of the legal commission for appointments and immunities. He emphasized that, in order to ensure transparency of the decision-making process and the effective participation of all interested stakeholders, public consultations on the draft law had been organized both at the parliament and in the municipality of Comrat.

“Representatives of public authorities involved in the electoral process, authorities from the UTA Gagauzia, civil society and the media, as well as other interested persons in the consultations. The comments and proposals formulated during the public consultations were examined and taken into account in preparing the draft for the second reading. The draft law was also submitted for opinions to the government and the Central Electoral Commission. Likewise, the legal commission for appointments and immunities received the opinion of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia on the draft law,” said Igor Chiriac.

The draft consolidates 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 laid down by law for holders of and candidates for public office.

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 meant for meetings with voters. They will have to ensure a minimum number of rooms that can be used by electoral competitors on equal terms. 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 the 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 allowed to use, in addition to bank accounts, payment accounts offered by providers authorized by the National Bank of Moldova.

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

In drafting the legislative initiative, the authors – a group of MPs of the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) – made use of 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 necessary normative solutions for implementing Constitutional Court Decision No. 8 from July 9, 2026.