On the evening of October 17, the acceptance of envelopes containing votes from Moldovan citizens abroad concluded at electoral offices in countries where mail-in voting was permitted.
This was reported by the publication Newsmaker, as noted by "European Truth".
The electoral authorities received 1,344 envelopes out of 1,808 sent to voters who opted for mail-in voting, as stated by the chairwoman of the Central Election Commission, Angelica Karaman.
According to her, the acceptance of envelopes from Moldovan citizens who voted for the president and in the referendum ended on October 17 at 18:00 local time. "All other envelopes sent after this time are considered invalid," said the CEC head.
She clarified that in the event of a second round of elections, citizens registered for mail-in voting will be able to send their envelopes after the CEC announces the candidates participating in the second round.
Moldovan citizens residing in the USA, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, where the Moldovan diaspora was allowed to vote by mail, were required to complete preliminary registration by September 6.
Moldova created the opportunity for the diaspora to vote in elections by mail in April. This voting method was introduced based on several criteria, including the significant distances between polling stations, the experience of the host country in organizing mail-in voting, and the reliability of postal services.
The option for mail-in voting was not organized in countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Moldova, are in a state of war, or do not adhere to international electoral standards.
In addition to the ballot, voters included a "responsibility statement" in the envelope, where they declared the confidentiality of their vote.
It is important to note that votes from the diaspora are crucial for President Maia Sandu, as her support among Moldovan citizens abroad is very high. During the previous presidential elections, there were large queues at overseas polling stations.
The presidential elections in Moldova and the referendum on EU accession will take place on October 20.