site.btaMoldova’s Parliamentary Election Voting Ends, Record Diaspora Turnout Reported

Voting in Moldova’s parliamentary elections ended at 21:00, Moldova’s Central Election Commission (CEC) said Sunday. Some polling stations abroad remain open due to the time difference, with a CEC briefing set for 21:30 local and Bulgarian time.

According to the latest CEC data, more than 50% (51.9%) of Moldovan voters cast their ballots. The Commission reported real-time turnout results on its website. Preliminary, though not final, figures indicate that 1,591,145 voters took part.

CEC data cited by local media suggest particularly high turnout among Moldovans living abroad. As of 19:00, nearly 230,000 Moldovan citizens had voted abroad. Local outlets note this sets a new record for diaspora participation in parliamentary elections. CEC data show that over 76,000 Moldovans living outside the country voted in the 2019 parliamentary elections and over 212,000 in 2021. By 19:00 Sunday, 227,629 Moldovan nationals had voted abroad.

The sizable Moldovan diaspora, estimated at nearly one million people, is expected to have a significant impact on the outcome of Sunday’s election. The main competitors are the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity, which currently holds government, and the opposition Patriotic Electoral Bloc, a coalition of four pro-Russian parties.

Analysts and politicians agree that the outcome of Sunday’s election will determine whether Moldova aligns its foreign policy with Brussels or Moscow. In the last presidential election, widely considered a choice between East and West, a record 327,000 Moldovans voted from abroad, with over 82% supporting pro-European candidate Maia Sandu, resulting in her re-election.

Earlier on Sunday, Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported bomb threats at several overseas polling stations.