New local elections in seven localities, without digital ID in EVO: final turnout and what happens before results are announced

Voters in seven localities went to the polls on Sunday, 1 November 2026, for new local elections and a local referendum. According to preliminary data from the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), 6,608 voters had cast ballots by the time the 12 polling stations closed at 21:00. In all the localities except the village of Novosiolovca in Taraclia District, turnout exceeded the minimum threshold of one quarter of voters on the electoral rolls. By 22:00 (Chișinău time), the CEC had not announced preliminary candidate results or the referendum result in its statements.

Note: This article concerns turnout and procedures. Preliminary results will be added after the CEC publishes them.

Voter turnout by locality (when polling stations closed)

The figures below were reported by the CEC after voting ended on 1 November 2026. The CEC says they are preliminary until it receives the original documents from the lower-level electoral bodies.

• Cairaclia, Taraclia District (mayor): 38.23%.

• Novosiolovca, Taraclia District (mayor): 22.65%, below the 25% threshold.

• Costești town, Rîșcani District (mayor): 37.67%.

• Hăsnășenii Mari, Drochia District (mayor): 48.49%.

• Chirsova, ATU of Gagauzia (mayor): 40.27%.

• Tomai, ATU of Gagauzia (local council): 28.99%.

• Delacău, Anenii Noi District (local referendum): 35.21%.

During the day, the CEC reported the following turnout figures. By 09:00, 408 voters had cast ballots in the localities holding elections (2.47%) and 39 in Delacău (2.26%). By 12:00, the figures were 2,559 (15.69%) and 291 (16.88%), respectively. By 15:00, they were 4,079 (24.71%) and 460 (26.68%). By 18:00, 5,384 (32.61%) and 576 (33.41%), for a total of 5,960 voters. At 15:00, Novosiolovca (17.73%) and Tomai (20.44%) had the lowest turnout. The CEC reported that voting proceeded without incident.

Novosiolovca: turnout below the threshold

Under the Electoral Code (Art. 175), an election in an electoral district is invalid if fewer than 1/4 of the voters on the electoral rolls participate. The CEC makes this determination based on documents from the district electoral council. If the preliminary figure of 22.65% is confirmed, the CEC must organise a repeat vote within two weeks, using the same electoral rolls, candidates and electoral bodies (Art. 177). The repeat vote is valid regardless of the number of participants. In Novosiolovca, the CEC list shows only one registered candidate for mayor.

What was being elected in each locality

• Cairaclia, Taraclia District: mayor, following the resignation of the former mayor. Four candidates registered: one nominated by the PSRM and three independents.

• Novosiolovca, Taraclia District: mayor, following the resignation of the former mayor. One candidate registered, nominated by the PSRM.

• Costești town, Rîșcani District: mayor, following the termination of the former mayor’s mandate on the basis of a finding by the National Integrity Authority that had become final. Three candidates, nominated by the parties “Democracy at Home”, the PSRM and “Our Party”.

• Hăsnășenii Mari, Drochia District: mayor, after the former mayor was removed from office in the local referendum of 17 May 2026. Three candidates, nominated by the PSRM, “Democracy at Home” and the “Party of Change”.

• Chirsova, ATU of Gagauzia: mayor, after the former mayor’s mandate ended following a final court ruling barring her from holding office. Four independent candidates were registered. On 29 October, under Decision No. 4819, the CEC cancelled the registration of one of them for offering goods to a voter. The decision could be appealed within three days to the Centru Court of Appeal.

• Tomai, ATU of Gagauzia: a new 13-member village council. The former council was dissolved by operation of law after the number of councillors fell from 13 to 6. Contenders: the PSRM list, with 15 candidates, and 14 independent candidates.

• Delacău, Anenii Noi District: a local referendum initiated by the village council. The question: “Do you support prohibiting changes to the designated use of land within the administrative boundaries of Delacău village for the purpose of exploiting mineral resources at a distance of less than 1 km from the boundary of the built-up area of Delacău village?” Response options: “YES” or “NO”.

The CEC printed 18,251 ballot papers: 12,481 for the mayoral elections, 4,042 for the Tomai council and 1,728 for the referendum. By language, 5,679 ballot papers were in Romanian, 12,010 in Russian, 362 in Bulgarian and 200 in Gagauz. The election was monitored by 23 national observers accredited by the CEC.

How results are determined

• Mayor: a candidate is elected in the first round if they receive more than half of the valid votes cast (Art. 173). Otherwise, a second round between the top two candidates is held within two weeks. The CEC sets the date by decision immediately after processing the results. In the second round, the election is valid if at least 1/5 of voters on the electoral rolls cast ballots (Art. 175).

• Tomai local council: seats are allocated on the basis of the minutes drawn up by the district electoral council. The council is legally constituted if at least 2/3 of the seats are validated (Art. 174).

• Delacău referendum: the decision is considered adopted if a majority of those who took part in the referendum vote in favour of it (Art. 239).

• By 22:00, the CEC had not announced a date for any potential second round.

No digital ID: CEC decision of 31 October

On 26 October, under Decision No. 4812, the CEC approved a procedure allowing voters to identify themselves at polling stations using the digital version of their identity document in the EVO app, by scanning a QR code displayed by an operator. On 31 October, the CEC adopted Decision No. 4829. Under the decision, the provisions on digital identification did not apply on voting day, 1 November. The decision was made following a notice from the e-Governance Agency dated 30 October concerning cybersecurity incidents that affected the state’s digital public services.

Voters had to present a physical identity document at the polling station. The CEC said it would continue its dialogue with the e-Governance Agency on using digital identification in future elections, once security checks are completed.

Appeals: where and by when

On 31 October, the CEC placed its “Online Appeals” module in maintenance mode as a precautionary measure following the security incident, while it reviews authentication mechanisms, including those integrated with MPass. Appeals may be submitted electronically to info@cec.md or in person at the CEC headquarters (119 Vasile Alecsandri Street, Chișinău).

• The general deadline for filing appeals is three days from the day after the contested action or decision (Art. 95(1) of the Electoral Code).

• Requests for a recount may be filed within three days of the announcement of the preliminary results and are examined within three days. If a recount is ordered, it takes place within five days (Art. 95(10), Art. 100(5)).

• Appeals filed after voting ends are examined as part of the tabulation and confirmation of results and the validation of mandates (Art. 100(4)).

• Electoral council decisions may be challenged in court after completion of the preliminary procedure. CEC decisions concerning this election specify the Centru Court of Appeal as the competent court.

What happens next

• The CEC tabulates the minutes and publishes the preliminary results. In new local elections, the final results are tabulated by the district electoral councils (Art. 86).

• Within 10 days of receiving the documents, but not before appeals have been finally resolved, district electoral councils confirm or reject the legality of the elections and validate the mandates of mayors and councillors (Article 174).

• For the referendum in Delacău, the electoral council sends its report to the CEC within two days of the results being tabulated. The CEC confirms or rejects the results within 10 days (Article 238).

• Elections for the Bashkan and the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia will be held on November 15.