site.btaRomanians Vote for President

Voters in Romania are casting their ballots in the first round of the presidential elections on Sunday. They can vote  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 of the November 2024 elections and ordered the electoral process to start over.

This is what Romania's interim President, Prime Minister and most presidential candidates said when they cast their votes:

Interim President Ilie Bolojan cast his vote, choosing a symbolic polling station near the Cotroceni Presidential Palace in Bucharest. After voting, he stressed the importance of the elections at a time of increasing complexity and uncertainty. He highlighted the president's crucial role in shaping foreign and defence policy, ensuring Romania's security and reliability, and collaborating with the parliamentary majority and the government to rebuild trust, reform the state and create development opportunities. 

Bolojan became interim President on February 12, 2025, following Klaus Iohannis's resignation, and will serve until a new president is elected later this month.

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said: "We cannot afford a political crisis at this moment because it will lead to chaos, to insolvency. I think Romania must have a president who already has a parliamentary majority to be able to propose reforms and implement the programme he is running on. Only one candidate had such a programme for the country." He added that he voted for Romania to move forward together with its EU and NATO partners.

Lavinia Sandru, the presidential candidate of the Humanist Social-Liberal Party in Romania, was the first of the 11 candidates to vote in the country's presidential elections. The 50-year-old former journalist and actress stressed that her vote was for a "true Romania," opposing abuses and corruption that have caused suffering for generations. She also encouraged undecided voters to reject those who label certain candidates as having "no chance." Sandru, one of the two women candidates in the race, made a special appeal to women, urging them to vote.

George Simion, leader of the far-right opposition Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), cast his vote alongside former presidential candidate Calin Georgescu. The two were greeted by a large crowd of supporters chanting "George Simion for president". 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.

Nicusor Dan, an independent presidential candidate and current mayor of Bucharest, 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.

Crin Antonescu, 65, backed by Romania's ruling coalition and the only contender with prior experience as acting president, said he voted for a united, strong and dignified Romania. He expressed hope that a high voter turnout would ensure the new president's legitimacy and moral authority. The three ruling parties - the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) - have formed the Romania Forward Alliance to support his candidacy.

Cristian Terhes, candidate for the Romanian National Conservative Party (PNCR), urged citizens to support a president loyal to the Romanian nation. Terheș, 46, said: "I came to vote (...) for a strong, secure and prosperous Romania, so that those who left may return, and those who stayed will not leave." He also addressed Romanians abroad: "When you are far from home, you want things to go as well as possible in your country so you can return, because life is not easy far from home." This is his second presidential bid, following a 1% result in last year's race. Notably, he played a key role in the annulment of the previous presidential election by filing the Constitutional Court complaint that led to the recount of first-round ballots.

Elena Lasconi, one of the two female presidential candidates in Romania, said: "I vote with the belief that justice will finally be served today." The 52-year-old former journalist is the leader of the opposition reformist party Union for the Salvation of Romania (USR) and mayor of Campulung (Southern Romania) since 2020. She reached the second round of last year's annulled presidential elections, where she would have faced far-right nationalist Calin Georgescu. According to her, the Constitutional Court "trampled democracy" because, in her view, it should not have annulled the vote, regardless of the results.

Silviu Predoiu, the oldest contender in the race at 66, said he was voting "for change, not reform," because in his view, "it is already too late for reform." Representing the National Action League, Predoiu, a retired four-star general and former top official in Romania's Foreign Intelligence Service, said he was voting for a Romania that is respected and recognized, not one that begs for international favours, but earns them through merit. He dismissed the likelihood of another annulment of the vote. A repeat candidate from the annulled 2024 election, Predoiu has laid out a presidential vision focused on unity, transparency and the defence of national interests.

John-Ion Banu-Muscel, an independent candidate, said he voted for change in Romania's political class and a new direction for the country. He said that such transformation must come through the will of the people. Surrounded by supporters, Banu-Muscel said he is committed to a development plan for Romania focused on citizens' well-being and the nation's future. Banu-Muscel advocates the reinstatement of the death penalty and believes that Romanians should have the right to own firearms for self-defence.

Sebastian Popescu, presidential candidate from the New Romania party, was denied the right to vote in Bucharest. They did not allow him to vote on the grounds that he could exercise his right to vote at the address on his ID card. Sebastian Popescu is originally from the town of Balsh in southern Romania (Olt County). His priority is the reunification of Romania with the Republic of Moldova and the return of the Romanian state treasure from Russia.

Victor Ponta, independent candidate, told the media that he had chosen to vote in Corbi because it was there that he had announced he would run for president. On Sunday, he also published a video of the campaign launch, filmed at the Corbii de Piatră, the oldest rock monastery in Romania.