Chairman of the Standing Electoral Authority (AEP) Toni Grebla said on Thursday that about 19,000 polling stations will be opened for the presidential election in the country and over 900 abroad, adding that candidacies can be submitted until October 5, and electioneering will start on October 25.

He also said that in this year’s presidential election, no candidacies from political alliances have been submitted.

„For the election of the President of Romania there will certainly be two rounds of elections, as shown by the opinion polls and the Romanian legislation which, practically, makes it almost impossible to win the election in a single round, and about 19,000 polling stations will be opened in the country, and over 900 polling stations abroad,” Grebla told a news conference.

He added that, according to the checks he made on Wednesday, there are over 18 million people eligible to vote in Romania.

„For the presidential election, we will print as many ballot papers as there are voters registered with the Electoral Register in the week before the election, which is about 18 million voters plus 10 percent. Abroad, there will be about 5 million ballot papers.”

The AEP chairman also said that the candidacies for the president of Romania can be submitted until October 5, at 24:00hrs to the Central Electoral Bureau, accompanied by the electoral sign.

He added that October 25 will be the first day of electioneering.

As for Romanians eligible to vote who are abroad, Grebla said that September 24 is the last day when they can announce their intention to vote at the polling station, and October 10 is the last day for those who want to vote by mail.

Grebla said that getting on thr permanent roll abroad is not mandatory, but it is desirable, mentioning that this approach does not condition the exercise of the right to vote.

„Why is it good for the citizens to express their intention to get on the regular rolls abroad? In order for Romania’s diplomatic and consular missions to be able to propose the establishment of polling stations where more than 100 voters are registered, otherwise it is difficult for the Foreign Ministry to know where they can open polling stations. (…) Registration is not mandatory, but it is desirable. The fact that a Romanian citizen with a domicile or residence abroad has not registered for voting at the polling station, at a certain polling station, does not prevent him or her, on the day of voting, from voting wherever they are.”

Grebla added that all Romanian citizens residing in the country who will be abroad on those days can vote anywhere, at any polling station abroad, provided that they present a valid Romanian identity document.

He also said that on September 28 the list of addresses of polling stations abroad will be finalised, approved and posted on the website of embassies, diplomatic and consular offices, the Central Electoral Bureau, the Standing Electoral Authority.

About Romanian citizens with a domicile or residence abroad who express their will to vote by mail, they can vote at a polling station abroad or in the country.

„As of this morning, about 4,000 Romanian citizens with a domicile or residence abroad have expressed their desire to vote by mail. They still have a very short period in which they can exercise this right,” he said.

The first round of the presidential election is scheduled for November 24, and the runoff for December 8.

AGERPRES