The presidential vote in organized concurrently with a national referendum that would amend the constitution to include a clause about Moldova making it its goal to join the European Union.
The turnout for the presidential vote rose from 18.8% at noon local time to 42.7% by 5 p.m.
For the referendum to be binding, at least one-third of all eligible voters must cast their vote. While not everyone who turned up at the polls opted to cast their vote in the referendum, the CEC announced that by 6 p.m. local time (GMT 1600), the turnout condition had been met.
Polls closed at 7 p.m. local time. Preliminary results are expected around 8 p.m. local time.
Traditionally, the Moldovan diaspora living in the West has turned up to vote in droves, with at least 162,000 Moldovans having voted abroad by, more than came to cast their ballots in the previous elections held in 2020.
Russian interference
Moldovan authorities have warned ahead of the election of possible Russian interference, including attempts to destabilize the country by training agents provocateurs and bribing voters.
Queues have also formed in front of polling stations set up in Russia. As the Moldovan foreign ministry announced earlier, only two polling stations could be set up in Russia due to understaffing. The foreign ministry accused Moscow of “artificially generating a crowd in order to jeopardize the electoral process,” and appealed to the Kremlin authorities not to allow “the illegal bussing of voters to the polling stations.”
Meanwhile, a correspondent for the Polish state news agency PAP in Varnița, southeastern Moldova, reported that voters are being bussed in from the pro-Russian breakaway republic of Transnistria, internationally recognized as part of Moldova. Many inhabitants of Transnistria cling to their Moldovan citizenship and vote in the country’s elections, with 30 polling stations set up in Moldova to allow them to cast their ballots.
In order to prevent vote-buying, Moldovan authorities have warned voters who photograph and publish their marked ballots may face fines.
“We have been notified of a number of cases in which ballots with the voter’s preferred option were posted in the public space. We remind that such manifestations are penalized,” said Angelica Caraman, head of the CEC.
Publishing pictures of one’s marked ballot may result in fines ranging from 600 to 1,500 lei ($130 and $330 respectively), while attempts to take the ballot paper out of the polling station or passing it onto another party will result in fines ranging from 2,500 to 7,500 lei ($545 and $1,640 respectively).
The average salary in Moldova is equivalent to about $670.
Important decisions
A record number of 11 candidates in contesting the election. Leading in the polls is the pro-European incumbent, President Maia Sandu.
After casting her ballot, Sandu was approached by the media and addressed Moldovan citizens, calling them to make “two decisions important for the future of the country.”
While campaigning is formally forbidden on election day, many candidates spoke to the media while casting their ballots and reiterated their political agendas. The former general prosecutor and socialist, pro-Russian candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo said that his first official visit as head of state would be to the separatist region of Transnistria.
Another pro-Russian candidate, former mayor of Bălți Renato Usatii, said that he cast his vote for “stability and a change for the better,” adding that he did not vote in the referendum.
Irina Vlah, the former governor of Gagauzia, a Turkic-speaking autonomous region in the south of Moldova many of whose inhabitants harbor pro-Russian sentiments, said that she is voting for “a peaceful and neutral Moldova,” accusing President Sandu of “dragging the country into a war.”
