Elections in Moldova

The CEC is Moldova’s highest electoral authority. It owns the State Register of Voters, automatically compares it with the State Population Register and uses the state information system “Alegeri” for electoral administration. District Electoral Councils organize territorial procedures and tabulate results, while polling-station bureaus verify voters, issue ballots, conduct voting and count the votes. CICDE provides training and certification for electoral officials. The Curtea Constituțională reviews the legality of national elections and validates national mandates. Appeals concerning Gagauzia follow local rules and may reach the Comrat Court of Appeal. On June 2, 2026, the register contained 3,304,312 eligible voters. Of these, 2,759,245 were assigned to a territory, 266,935 had no registered residence or were legally emigrated, and 278,132 were connected with the left bank of the Dniester outside effective constitutional control. Voters can check their registration online or at a polling office. They can request corrections at least seven days before election day. For parliamentary elections, presidential elections and a republican referendum, a certificate for the right to vote or a residence notification may be required up to 25 days before voting. Local elections require residence in the relevant administrative unit for at least three months. National elections generally take place on one Sunday throughout Moldova. The CEC may authorize voting over two days when an objective reason makes that necessary. Polling stations normally open from 07:00 to 21:00. A voter appears personally, keeps the ballot secret and votes for only one candidate, list or option in the relevant contest. Photographing or filming a ballot, publicly displaying it, taking it away or handing it to another person is prohibited. Accepted identity documents include an identity card, a temporary identity card or a Moldovan passport, including an expired passport when it is not otherwise invalid. Citizens abroad can vote at any Moldovan polling station outside the country. Special polling stations serve voters from the left bank on territory controlled by Moldova. Students and pupils may use a special list with an identity document and student or pupil card when the applicable procedure allows it. A voter who cannot reach a polling station may request mobile voting in writing within the two weeks before election day and no later than 14:00 on the day before voting. On election day itself, the request is accepted by 14:00 only with a medical certificate. At least two polling-station members take a mobile ballot box to the voter. This procedure does not apply abroad or to the left bank of the Dniester. Postal voting is an alternative available abroad, not a general domestic method. It requires registration for each election, digital identification, entry on a separate list and approval of the country and procedure by the CEC. The ballot package must be sent no later than 20 days before election day. Parliamentary elections choose 101 deputies for four years in one national electoral district. Parties, electoral blocs and independent candidates may compete. Party lists contain 51 to 111 candidates. The representation threshold is 5% for a party, 7% for a party bloc and 2% for an independent candidate. Seats are distributed by successive division using 1, 2, 3 and subsequent divisors, and mandates follow the order on the list. A national election is invalid when participation is below one third of registered voters. The election date is set at least 70 days in advance and no later than three months after the Parliament’s mandate ends or Parliament is dissolved. A parliamentary candidate needs Moldovan citizenship, voting rights and at least 18 years of age. An independent candidate generally collects 2,000 to 2,500 supporting signatures, while a female independent candidate needs at least 1,000. Party lists must contain at least 40% of each gender and at least four candidates of each gender in every group of ten list positions. The latest confirmed parliamentary result was recorded on September 28, 2025. Participation was 52.24%, with 1,609,579 participants and 1,578,722 valid votes. The 101 mandates were distributed as follows: PAS 55, Patriotic Bloc 26, ALTERNATIVA 8, Partidul Nostru 6 and Democrația Acasă 6. The President is elected directly for four years by universal, equal, secret and free vote. A candidate wins in the first round with at least half of the votes cast by participating voters. If no candidate reaches that level, the two leading candidates compete in a second round two weeks later, where the higher vote total wins. The first round is invalid below one third participation, and the second round is invalid below one fifth of registered voters. A presidential candidate must be at least 40, have lived permanently in Moldova for at least ten years, speak the state language, Romanian, and hold a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification. The candidate must collect 15,000 to 25,000 supporting signatures from at least half of the second-level administrative units, with at least 600 qualified signatures from each contributing unit. Local elections choose mayors and rayon, city and community councils for four years. General local elections normally take place on the last Sunday of October or the first Sunday of November. A mayor needs more than half of valid votes in the first round; otherwise, the two leading candidates compete two weeks later. Council seats use the same highest-number method and list order principle described for parliamentary elections. A local election is invalid below one quarter participation, while a second mayoral round is invalid below one fifth. Gagauzia has elections for the Bashkan and People’s Assembly under additional local rules, including Law No. 344/1994. Central electoral terminology and procedures cannot automatically be transferred to Gagauzia where its own norms apply. Campaigning is subject to equal treatment, and the CEC publishes candidate information, polling-station details and preliminary results. The state budget finances election organization. Accredited national and international observers may monitor the process, while media coverage is expected to provide fairness, balance and impartiality. After voting, the polling-station bureau counts ballots, prepares a protocol and immediately displays a copy publicly at the entrance. For national elections, the District Electoral Council sends the records to the CEC within 48 hours; for local elections, the deadline is 72 hours. The CEC tabulates national and general local results, while District Electoral Councils handle local results. A complaint may be filed in writing, by post or electronically. The general deadline is three days from the day after the contested action, omission or decision. A recount may be requested within three days after preliminary results are published when the alleged error could affect the result or a mandate. An unlawful violation that affected the result can lead to annulment and a repeat election no earlier than two weeks later. The Curtea Constituțională handles legality review and validation of national mandates; local councils confirm legality and distribute or validate local mandates. After parliamentary elections, the President convenes Parliament within a maximum of 30 days. A candidate for Prime Minister must request a confidence vote within 15 days, and approval requires a majority of all elected deputies.