Moldovan Central Electoral Commission's head says election validity threshold exceeded in 29 of 35 electoral districts from Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia

The voter turnout has exceeded the 25-per cent threshold in 29 of the 35 electoral districts from the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia. Thus, the conditions for the validity of the election have been met in these districts. President of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) Angelica Caraman made statements to this effect at a news briefing.

According to the official, approximately 36,000 voters had cast their ballots at the 67 polling stations by 16:00, representing almost 28 per cent of the total number of people registered on the electoral rolls.

“More than 55 per cent of the total number of voters who went to the polls are women, while approximately 45 per cent are men. The largest share is represented by people aged between 66 and 75. They account for more than 28 per cent of all voters who had cast their ballots by this time. Young people aged between 18 and 25 represent just over 5 per cent of the total number of voters who exercised their right to vote. Since the polling stations opened, the highest turnout was recorded between 10:00 and 12:0, with 6,200, 5,500 and 5,200 voters per hour, respectively,” said Angelica Caraman.

At 14:00, the submission of requests to vote at the voter’s location ended. Electoral bureaus are arranging for teams with mobile ballot boxes to travel to people who requested this voting option. According to information from the region, more than 1,900 requests to vote at the voter’s location were registered. The largest number of requests was recorded in the Comrat electoral district, where there are 105 requests, a figure explained by the presence of a hospital and a nursing home in the district.

“The voter information hotline continues to operate at 022 788 01 01. It will be available until 21:00, when the polling stations close. Most voters’ questions concern the addresses of polling stations and the documents that can be used to exercise the right to vote,” said the CEC president.

For voters who need identity documents, the multifunctional centers of the Public Services Agency in Comrat, Ceadar-Lunga and Vulcanesti will continue operating until the polling stations close, namely until 21:00.

“Temporary identity cards issued during the day today are free of charge. So far, 24 documents have been issued, while another six people have collected the identity cards they had previously requested,” Angelica Caraman noted.

During the day, employees of the General Police Inspectorate documented ten violations. Three cases involved prohibited electoral campaigning, six concerned the organized transportation of voters and one case involved aggressive behavior near a polling station.

“Electoral campaigning is prohibited both through direct communication with voters and online. We call on electoral contestants and their supporters to comply with this rule, so that freedom of choice is ensured for all participants in the electoral process. We also remind you that photographing and video recording, as well as publicly displaying a completed ballot paper are prohibited. These actions constitute violations and are punishable under the law. Today is an important day for the communities in the region and our responsibility is to ensure a well-organized and transparent electoral process, in which every voter can freely and safely express his/her choice,” the CEC leadership added.

After the polling stations close, preliminary results will be presented based on the data included in the vote-counting protocols. These results will be preliminary and will be verified against the original protocols received by the CEC, starting Monday.

Elections today are held in the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia for the position of member of the People's Assembly and for the position of governor of the region. A total of 132 candidates are registered for the 35 seats in the People's Assembly, while eight people are running for governor. The polling stations will close at 21:00.