Romanians with the right to vote in the diaspora have three days to elect the person who will lead Romania for the next five years, being expected at the polls on May 2, 3 and 4.
The 965 polling stations in the diaspora organized for this year’s presidential elections are open to Romanian citizens who are abroad on election day, regardless of whether or not they have their domicile or residence abroad.
The most polling stations are in Italy and Malta – 161, Spain – 147, United Kingdom – 108, France and Monaco – 69, Republic of Moldova – 64, USA – 50, Belgium – 29, Netherlands – 23.
Compared to the localities where polling stations were organized abroad for the presidential and parliamentary elections of 2024, for this year’s elections, 29 polling stations have been relocated to nearby localities or areas, either following consultations with representatives of Romanian citizens’ communities or for better coverage of the communities in various areas, in order to facilitate their access to polling stations, informs the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE).
The ministry specifies that different addresses will be used for five polling stations in France, the United Kingdom and Spain between the two rounds of the presidential election. Moreover, as in the 2024 elections, for objective reasons, polling stations will not be organized in the following areas: Afghanistan (the Romanian military have been withdrawn from the theaters of operations), Rostov-on-Don (consular office closed), Odessa (consular office activity is temporarily suspended), Sudan (mission activity is taken over by the Romanian Embassy in Addis Ababa), Venezuela (mission closed), Libya (mission is relocated to Tunis) and Pyongyang (mission activity is temporarily suspended).
Polling stations abroad will be open for three days as follows:
* Friday, May 2, between 7:00 a.m.and 9:00 p.m. (local times)
* Saturday, May 3, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (local time); on the first and second day of voting abroad, voters who are at the polling station at 9:00 p.m. local time, as well as those who are in line outside the polling station to enter the polling station, may exercise their right to vote until 11:59 p.m. local time at the latest
* On Sunday, May 4, between 7:00 a.m. (local time) and 9:00 p.m (Romanian local time); not later than 9:00 p.m, Romanian time, with the possibility of an extension for three hours for voters who are at the polling station at the closing time of the polling station and for those who are in line outside the polling station.
On Sunday, May 4, most polling stations abroad will be open between 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m , the local time of the country in which the polling station is located, except in some countries in Europe, Africa, South America, USA and Canada, where polling stations will close at 9:00 p.m local time (Romania’s time EEST UTC/GMT +3 hours ). For voters who are at the polling station when it closes, there is the possibility of extending voting by another three hours, according to AEP.
Thus, in Algeria, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Morocco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Tunisia, United Kingdom, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Morocco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, Hungary, Switzerland – the polls close at 20:00 (local time), with the possibility of extension for those in line until 10:59 p.m (local time).
* in Iceland, Ireland, Portugal, Senegal – the polls close at 7:00 p.m (local time); voting can be extended until 9:59 (local time);
* in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay – polling closes at 4:00 a.m. (local time), at 6:59 p.m. (local time) if extended for those in line;
* Canada (Dieppe) – voting closes at 3:00 p.m.(local time); extension until 5:59 p.m. (local time);
* Canada (Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec), Colombia, Cuba, Peru, USA (Washington, Miami, New York) – elections end at 2:00 p.m. (local time); extension until 4:59 p.m. (local time);
* Canada (Winnipeg), USA (Chicago, Houston, Dallas) – voting ends at 1:00 p.m. (local time); may be extended until 3:59 p.m. (local time);
* Canada (Calgary, Edmonton) – voting closes at 12:00 (local time), with the possibility of extension until 2:59 p.m. (local time);
* USA (San Francisco, Los Angeles), Canada (Vancouver) – polling stations close at 11:00 a.m. (local time); those in line may vote until 1:59 p.m. (local time).
Voters from abroad can vote with a valid identity document issued by the Romanian state: identity card; electronic identity card; provisional identity card; identity card or diplomatic passport; electronic diplomatic passport; service passport; electronic service passport; simple passport, simple electronic passport; simple temporary passport; military service card (in the case of students in military schools).
AGERPRES
