The Romanian Government has modified the voting sections program for the presidential elections in May 2025.
The polling stations will be open from Friday, starting at 7:00 AM (not 12 as before), and voting will conclude on Sunday at 9:00 PM, Romania time!
Until now, the local time was taken into account, meaning that the last voting sections on the west coast of America closed on Monday morning at 7:00 AM (Romania time). Essentially, Romanians abroad could see the exit poll results from their native country, influencing their vote, which the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP) no longer wants to happen.
The government approved on Thursday that the date for the presidential elections (first round) will be on May 4, the second round on May 18, with the electoral period starting on February 18.
Here are the detailed explanations from the Government, in the statements of the spokesperson Mihai Constantin, quoted by Mediafax:
- "Until now, if we remember well, voting started at 12:00 PM, local time, in the voting sections abroad.
- Starting from Friday, voting will start at 7:00 AM local time, ending at 9:00 PM local time, on Saturday from 7:00 AM local time to 9:00 PM local time.
- On Sunday, May 4, when the vote takes place in the country, here is a change - the vote starts in the voting sections abroad at 7:00 AM local time, but it will end either at 9:00 PM local time, if we are on the meridian preceding, to the east of Romania, the vote closes at 9:00 PM, as it happened until now, but what does it mean on the west of Romania, on the other time zones, the vote will close at 9:00 PM, Romania time.
- This means that, if we go to an extreme in the United States, to a voting section, on Sunday, May 4, the vote will close when it is 9:00 PM in Romania."
This measure was adopted at the proposal of the Permanent Electoral Authority, "precisely to eliminate that time gap influencing the vote, when it closed in Romania but remained open abroad, in sections located west of Romania, on the corresponding time zones."
By exception, the schedule can be extended by a maximum of three hours.
- "There is again a provision valid both in the country and abroad, at 9:00 PM when the polls close, it is quite likely and clearly possible that there are people in the voting section who still want to vote, but also outside the voting section there may be queues.
- It happened before, it is possible to happen now.
- Well, legally there is the possibility that the voting in those voting sections be extended, up to three hours at most, until midnight in Romania, so that those within the voting section perimeter can exercise this right," added Constantin.
He also mentioned that deadlines and logistical measures are established regarding the registration of voters with domicile or residence abroad, stating that in this case, things are unfolding as before.
"Starting next week, after the emergency ordinance adopted today comes into force, Romanian citizens abroad can declare their intention to vote by correspondence at Romanian consular services," Constantin explained.
Recall that in the first round of the presidential elections on November 24 (the one canceled), the situation of the competitors in the diaspora was as follows:
1. Călin Georgescu - 43.35%
2. Elena Lasconi - 26.82%
3. George Simion - 12.07%
4. Mircea Geoană - 4.88%
5. Nicolae Ciucă - 4.63%
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu did not even rank in the top 5, being voted by less than 3% of Romanians abroad.