site.btaElection Day in Romania Begins

Voters in Romania are casting their ballots in the first round of the presidential election. They can vote between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm local time at 18,979 polling stations in the country and at 965 stations abroad. In Bucharest alone, 1,289 stations are operating.

Voting abroad, which lasts for three days, began on Thursday evening. The first station to open was in Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand.

According to the Permanent Electoral Authority, nearly 18 million voters are registered in the Electoral Register. The number of Romanians residing abroad who are eligible to vote is just over 1 million.

A total of 11 candidates are competing for the seat in the Cotroceni Palace - two women and nine men. The youngest presidential candidate in Romania is 38 years old, and the oldest is 66. One candidate is entering the race for the third time. Four candidates are independents, while seven have been nominated by parties and coalitions.

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

The final results of Sunday's race will be officially announced two or three days after the end of the vote. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes from the total number of registered voters, a second round will be held on May 18.