IIMDD IPA CIS Expert Group Monitored Second Round of Local General Elections in Republic of Moldova

The IIMDD IPA CIS expert group accredited by the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Moldova continued to monitor the second round of the local general elections.

On the Election Day, 3 November 2019, the expert group members attended the opening of the polling stations in Chisinau. The district election bureaus began their work on time, the ballot boxes were sealed in accordance with the regulations, the technical equipment for identifying citizens by ID was in place, and the cameras for recording the counting process were checked and turned off.

During the day, the IIMDD IPA CIS expert group visited 10 polling stations in Chisinau, and noted the high preparedness and professionalism of election commissions, as well as the free access for international and national observers and the press.

Members of the IIMDD IPA CIS expert group also visited the polling stations with the voter identification system. This system was designed to reduce the time needed to identify voters in the “Voter Turnout” special application. The experts noticed that the voter’s barcode used in the application was not always scanned correctly on the first time. The accessibility of polling stations for people with limited mobility also remains a problem.

However, the members of the expert group did not record any serious violations during the voting. The minor technical deficiencies detected were not systematic and did not affect the elections. According to the IIMDD IPA CIS experts, the voting process was organized at a high level and in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Moldova.