site.btaRomanians Abroad Begin Voting in Presidential Runoff

Romanians living abroad have begun voting in the presidential elections runoff, where nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) leader George Simion and Nicusor Dan, the independent candidate and current mayor of Bucharest, are facing off, Agerpres reported on Friday.

Voting outside Romania will last a total of three days including May 18, when the runoff will take place on Romanian territory.

The first polling station abroad opened in Auckland, New Zealand. On Friday and Saturday, voting abroad closes at 9:00 p.m. local time, while on Sunday, it ends at 9:00 p.m. Romanian time.

According to the Permanent Electoral Authority, a total of 965 polling stations have been established abroad. There are 1,016,327 registered voters outside Romania and 17,988,218 within the country.

By 11:00 a.m. Romanian time on Friday, more than 23,300 citizens had already voted, the Permanent Electoral Authority announced. In addition, 3,139 votes have been cast by mail.

The presidential elections in Romania are being held for the second time after the Constitutional Court annulled the first round of the November 2024 elections and ordered the electoral process to start over.

When casting his vote in the first round of presidential elections, Simion said his mission was to restore constitutional order and democracy in Romania, focusing on justice for the people. "We are here with one goal, to bring justice to Romania," he said. Simion voted alongside former presidential candidate Calin Georgescu. The two were greeted by a large crowd of supporters chanting "George Simion for president".

Dan stated he was voting for hope, truth, honesty and a dignified European future, stressing the need for change in Romania's political class. Dan described his vote as realistic, noting the country's difficult situation and his desire for justice. Dan, 55, was re-elected mayor of Bucharest in 2024 and is running for president as an independent, with campaign support from the Save Romania Union (USR). He founded that party but left it in 2017 due to disagreements over its stance on a referendum for redefining the family in Romania's Constitution.