Voter resources for Romania’s 2024 elections
<h4>A list of online resources - from the authorities and non-profits - to check before the upcoming elections, with information ranging from the rules governing the electoral campaign to the steps to be followed on the day of the polls.</h4>

<p>Think tank Expert Forum (EFOR), which brings together experts in public policies and administration reform, has developed the platform&nbsp;<em>votcorect.ro</em>&nbsp;for the upcoming June 9 elections. The platform, initially launched in 2016, aims to offer the needed information to those interested in the electoral process.</p>

<p>Among the information that users can find on the platform are how a voter can find their polling station; what voters should do if they reside abroad or happen to be traveling the day of the elections; what are the documents needed to be able to vote; and what the procedures to be followed on election days are.</p>

<p>The platform also covers information on how the electoral campaign is funded, the rules on how the campaign should take place, or how citizens can notify legislation violations. It is updated as relevant legislative norms emerge.</p>

<p><a href="https://votcorect.ro/euro-locale-2024/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Votcorect.ro</a> also has an interactive component as on the day before and the day of elections voters can call and request electoral assistance. The phone numbers, for Romania and calls from abroad, are listed on the platform.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Those interested can also register on the platform as electoral observers. The accreditations are done alongside EFOR’s partners in the VotCorect Coalition, namely Centrul pentru Resurse Civice, Asociația Civica, Centrul pentru Studiul Democrației, Rădăuțiul Civic and Observatorul Electoral. The coalition also collaborates with Code for Romania, which develops the app Monitorizare Vot, helping to collect data on the day of the elections.</p>

<p>Those who want to find out the polling station they can vote at can check the website of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.registrulelectoral.ro/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><em>Electoral Register</em></a>, where they need to insert their personal code number and name.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;<em>Permanent Electoral Authority</em>&nbsp;(AEP) has a platform for Romanian voters abroad, where they can <a href="https://www.votstrainatate.ro/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">register </a>to vote in the parliamentary and presidential elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The&nbsp;<em>Foreign Affairs Ministry</em>&nbsp;(MAE) has a list of frequently asked questions on voting abroad for the EU Parliament elections and the list of polling stations opened abroad on its website. A guide for those voting abroad in the upcoming elections is available <a href="https://www.mae.ro/sites/default/files/file/anul_2024/alegeri_2024/ghidul_alegatorului_roman_din_strainatate_-_parlamentul_european_9_iunie_2024.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>

<p>A total of 915 voting sections will open abroad for the EU Parliament elections on June 9. Most of them will open in Italy (150 stations), Spain (147 stations), and the UK (104 stations). Voters abroad can cast their ballot for the EU Parliament elections using their ID card or passport. Voting opens at 07:00 and ends at 22:00. Voters who are inside the polling station or queuing outside at 22:00 can cast their ballot until 23:59.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;<em>lists of the candidates</em>&nbsp;running in the local and EU Parliament elections, both on behalf of political parties and independent ones, are available at the&nbsp;<em>Central Electoral Bureau</em>&nbsp;– for the EU Parliament elections <a href="https://europarlamentare2024.bec.ro/candidati/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here </a>and for the local elections <a href="https://locale2024.bec.ro/candidati/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>

<p>An&nbsp;<em>EU guide on the EU Parliament elections</em><strong><em>&nbsp;</em></strong>is available <a href="https://elections.europa.eu/ro/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here</a>. The guide also features a brief history of the EU elections, reasons to vote, a library of resources on the elections, the option to be reminded by email of the vote, and a section where the results will be updated.</p>

<p><a href="https://wevote4.eu/en" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><em>WeVote4.EU</em></a>, launched by the non-profit Code for Romania / Commit Global, covers a range of essential information on the EU elections: how to vote regardless of the EU state is in, real-time information on the evolution of elections in each country, such as voter turnout, and the monitoring of elections through the&nbsp;<em>Monitorizare Vot - Vote Monitor</em>&nbsp;app.</p>

<p>The platform, available in 26 languages, includes four main sections: the voter’s guide, the voting turnout, the live feed, and the vote monitor. The voter’s guide offers information on registration requirements, in cases where these exist; various voting methods; and assistance for voters with disabilities or other limitations. The Live Feed section highlights election day trends, events, and expert commentary from the NGO’s partners in civil society across the EU.</p>

<p>The real-time&nbsp;<em>voting turnout</em>&nbsp;is also updated at&nbsp;<em>prezenta.roaep.ro</em>&nbsp;throughout the day. The data are collected through the SIMPV (the IT system for monitoring voting presence and preventing illegal voting), when voters go to the polling section and are registered by the members of the electoral bureaus. The Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) also keeps a section on the results and at previous elections one on voting turnout.</p>

<p><em>Rezultatevot.ro</em>, another solution developed by Code for Romania, has been providing real-time info for several elections already.&nbsp;</p>

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<p><em>(Photo:</em>&nbsp;<em><a href="https://www.dreamstime.com/px_media_info">PX_Media</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/voting-romania.html">Dreamstime.com</a>)</em></p>

<p><em>simona@romania-insider.com</em></p>