The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) established the circulation of ballot papers in the parliamentary elections and the Republican Consultative Referendum on 24 February 2019 for polling stations abroad.

As TRIBUNA reports, according to a press release, its represent a total of 1,981,200 copies, out of which 1,617,800 copies in Romanian and 363,400 copies in Russian.

Printed ballot papers will be distributed to the electoral councils of the uninominal electoral constituencies and subsequently, they will be sent to the electoral bureaus of the polling stations established outside the Republic of Moldova. According to the provisions of the Electoral Code, the electoral bureaus of the polling stations established outside the Republic of Moldova, the CEC sends them the ballot papers at least 3 days before the election day, starting with the estimated number of voters established on the basis of information provided by the Ministry of External Business  and European Integration and that accumulated by the CEC, but not more than 5000 ballots for each polling station.

According to the CEC, taking into account the participation of voters at the last national scrutiny, it has decided to effectively distribute the number of ballots.

“For example, for the polling stations opened in the Beijing diplomatic missions, the Popular Republic of China – 200 bulletins will be sent; 27 people voted in the 2016 elections (round II); Tokyo, Japan – 250 ballots in the 2016 elections (Round II) voted 46 people; Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan – 2000 ballots, 51 people voted in the 2016 elections (second round); Sofia, Republic of Bulgaria – 3000 ballots, 188 people voted in the 2016 elections (round II); Riga, the Republic of Latvia – 450 ballots, in the 2016 elections (second round) voted 88 people; Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania – 1,200 ballots, 64 people voted in the 2016 elections (round II).

It is worth mentioning that at the elections of the Parliament of Moldova in 2014, for the polling stations abroad,total circulation of 257,500 ballots was established and for the second round of the elections for the position of President of the Republic of Moldova in 2016 – 288,850 of copies.

At the same time, CEC announced that today, February 5, 2019, at 13.00, at  Î.S. F.E.-P The “Central Printing House” starts the printing of ballots for the Republican Consultative Referendum on 24 February 2019, which will be distributed to polling stations opened outside the country.

Andriana Cheptine

Trainee translator: Mihaela Grosu