ParliamentaryElections2020/ Number of Romanians voting abroad has exceeded 200,000

Over 200,000 Romanians abroad have cast their ballots on Sunday, until 16:40 hrs, for their representatives in the new Legislative. According to the website of the Permanent Electoral Authority, 21,329 of these votes were expressed by mail. In Spain, the country with one of the largest communities of Romanians abroad, saw the organization of 140 polling stations, which saw the turnout of 23,000 electors. In Italy, where 137 polling stations were organized, over 37,000 Romanians voted, and in the United Kingdom, approximately 20,000. In Germany, over 22,000 Romanians voted, and in France, over 8,500. Furthermore, in the Republic of Moldova over 30,000 Romanians cast their ballots. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) recalls that Romanians with their domicile or residence abroad can vote in any of the 748 polling stations organized abroad. The polling stations are open between 7:00 and 21:00 hrs, local time, with the possibility of extending the program until 23:59 hrs at the latest if there are still voters at 21:00 hrs inside the polling station or are queuing outside it in order to enter the polling station. The Ministry recommends insistently that the applicable health protection norms be followed in polling stations abroad, as well as the measures adopted by the authorities in the domicile/residence state in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, including in regards to traveling to/from the polling station. Romanian citizens abroad can vote on the basis of one of the following identification papers: simple passport, simple temporary passport, simple electronic passport, with the mentioning of the country of domicile. Romanian citizens that have residence abroad can exercise their right to vote with a Romanian identity document (identity card, electronic identity card, provisional identity card, identity bulletin, diplomatic passport, diplomatic electronic passport, service passport, service electronic passport, simple passport, simple electronic passport, simple temporary passport), accompanied by a document issued by the authorities of the state of residence which proves the legal right to reside abroad for a period longer than 90 days. The list of these documents is available at www.mae.ro/sites/default/files/file/anexa_omae_1627_20191_cu_anexe.pdf. Romanian citizens abroad can exercise their right to vote even if the Romanian documents enumerated above have expired between March 1 - December 6, 2020. Information about the vote are available on the www.mae.ro website in a dedicated section, which also contains an interactive map of polling stations. Furthermore, the Romanian voters abroad have a phone number available - 0040214312065, with normal rates, available permanently until December 7, 20:00 hrs. AGERPRES (RO - author: Oana Ghita, editor: Florin Marin; EN - editor: Razvan-Adrian Pandea)