Changes in the diaspora voting schedule for May’s presidential election

Gov't also announced changing the rules during the election campaign.

The government decided in its meeting on Thursday, in which it approved the date of the presidential elections on May 4, a change to the diaspora voting schedule. According to the new regulation, on Sunday, at polling stations abroad located west of our country, voting will end at 9:00 p.m. Romanian time, regardless of the local time zone.

“Two government decisions and an emergency ordinance have been issued. The government decisions precede this emergency ordinance and establish the date of the elections: May 4, 2025 – presidential and local elections in certain UATs. Therefore, on Sunday, May 4, 2025, elections for the President of Romania will take place, as well as partial elections for the President of the Bihor County Council and for the mayors of 17 local communities,” said Mihai Constantin, the government spokesman.

He also mentioned that the salary of the staff who will ensure the electoral process will be reduced by 25%. For the two elections, the same electoral infrastructure will be used as in the previous year, 2024, precisely to ensure the fluidity, transparency and fairness of the voting process. The payment of the personnel involved in this electoral process, at the proposal of the Ministry of Finance, will be reduced by 25% to fit into the general plan to reduce public spending proposed by the Ministry of Finance. However, the allocation of the daily food allowance remains at the same parameters, as provided, but the effective allowance for being part of an electoral office or for the employees of the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs involved in this process is reduced by 25%”, Mihai Constantin also said.

Voting Hours in the Diaspora Shortened

The government spokesperson announced changes to voting schedules at polling stations abroad. Stations located west of Romania, which previously closed later than those in Romania, will now close at the same time as those in the country—9:00 PM Romanian time—on election day, Sunday, May 4.

“In previous elections, voting abroad began at 12:00 PM local time on Friday. Now, voting will start at 7:00 AM local time and end at 9:00 PM local time on both Friday and Saturday,” explained Mihai Constantin.

For Sunday, May 4, when voting also takes place in Romania, a key change has been introduced: voting abroad will start at 7:00 AM local time and close at 9:00 PM Romanian time, regardless of the local time in Western countries. For instance, in the United States, polls will close when it is 9:00 PM in Romania, according to Constantin.

“This measure, proposed by the Permanent Electoral Authority, aims to eliminate the time gap that allowed voting in Western countries to continue after polls had already closed in Romania, potentially influencing the outcome,” he added.

Voting May Extend Beyond 9:00 PM

If voters are still in line at polling stations by 9:00 PM, voting can be extended by up to three hours, until midnight Romanian time. “This rule applies both domestically and abroad, ensuring that those within the perimeter of the polling station can exercise their right to vote,” the spokesperson clarified.

Transparent Campaign Measures

Constantin also highlighted changes regarding the transparency of election campaigns. During the 2025 presidential election campaign, all political advertising must include clear disclosures. This includes labeling materials as political advertisements and providing sponsor information, such as the sponsor’s name, email address, and, if applicable, postal address. For organizational sponsors, the registered office address must be provided.

These changes aim to enhance fairness and transparency in both the voting process and election campaign.

At the beginning of the government meeting, PM Marcel Ciolacu made a series of statements. Regarding the election situation, he said: “As I promised, we will set the date of the elections today, on May 4. Also, on May 4, local partial elections will be held for the leadership of a county council, for the leadership of a county seat municipality, three cities and so far 13 communes.”

He also announced changes to the rules during electoral campaigns: “We have come up with changes so that the rules are the same for all candidates and we no longer have this practice that we had in the last elections in which a social media tool favored a certain competitor. We have also introduced drastic fines, namely up to 5% of turnover, and for certain corporations this fine could lead to many billions of euros.”

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  • Panagiotis Spyridis

    Yes ofcourse, because if we have another “technical issue”, we might need to Cancel again. Just so that you don’t make the trip to the polling station unnecessary.