Elections in the Republic of Moldova: 2025 Parliamentary Election

Election Snapshot

• Election Day: Sunday, September 28, 2025
• Registered voters: 3,299,396 (as of September 1, 2025)
• Polling stations: 2,274 (1,961 in the country, 301 abroad [4 for postal voting abroad], and 12 for voters residing on the left bank of the Dniester River)
• Competitors: 23
• Election campaign: August 29 to September 26, 2025

Voting for the Republic of Moldova’s parliamentary election will take place on Sunday, September 28, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time at 1,973 polling stations across the country (including 12 for voters residing on the left bank of the Nistru River) and 301 polling stations abroad. 

The law allows for elections to be held over two days for “objective reasons” including “pandemics, exceptional circumstances, ensuring the right to vote under unusual conditions, the large number of voters registered at polling stations from abroad, etc.” if such a decision is made by the Central Election Commission (CEC) at least 25 days before elections are held. For the current parliamentary election, no such decision was made by the CEC.

Moldovan citizens in Australia, Canada, Finland, Iceland, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the United States have the option to vote by mail. According to the timeline provided by the CEC, citizens who have registered to vote by mail will receive their ballots after September 8 and must ensure the ballots are delivered to their designated polling station by 6 p.m. local time (of the polling station) on September 26.

The September 28 parliamentary election is taking place at a decisive moment for Moldova and its citizens. The country enshrined its pro-European policy and geopolitical trajectory in its constitution in the constitutional referendum of October 20, 2024 — a step in Moldova’s accelerating drive to join the European Union (EU) and a win for the “EU referendum” backed by President Maia Sandu. While the referendum signals Moldova’s strengthening commitment to meeting the benchmarks required to join the EU, that depends on decisions made by Moldovan policymakers, especially those in the parliament. 

Moldova’s parliamentary elections are crucial because they will determine whether the country remains firmly on its European integration track or is pulled back toward Russian influence. The outcome will decide who forms the next government, either reinforcing President Maia Sandu’s pro-EU, pro-reform Action and Solidarity Party or empowering a more Russia-aligned coalition. These elections come amid heightened concerns over Russian interference, ranging from disinformation campaigns to financial back-channeling, challenging Moldova’s democratic resilience.

September 28 will be the first time that Moldova’s new Electoral Code, adopted in 2022, serves as the framework for a parliamentary election. During the 2024 presidential election and constitutional referendum the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights reported that the “CEC administered the election and the referendum efficiently and transparently” but noted issues related to foreign interference and vote-buying schemes, limited resources, and an environment in which not all competitors enjoyed equal opportunities, among other challenges.

Voters can vote for a political party, an electoral bloc (an alliance of two or more parties), or an independent candidate. As of September 8, 2025, the CEC had registered the following 23 parties, blocs, and individuals:

Parties

• Action and Solidarity Party
• “Democracy Home” Party
• Coalition for Unity and Welfare
• Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
• Party of European Social Democrats
• Moldovan National Party
• “Respect Moldova” Movement
• League of Cities and Communes
• Alliance for the Unity of Romanians
• The “Moldovans” Alliance
• Great Moldova Party
• The “New Historical Option” Party
• Liberal Party
• Christian-Social Union of Moldova
• Our Party

Blocs

• The Patriotic Electoral Bloc of Socialists, Communists, Heart and Future of Moldova
• “Alternativa” (Alternative) Electoral Bloc
• “Împreună” (Together) Electoral Bloc
• The Unity of the Nation Bloc

Individual Candidates

• Andrei Năstase
• Olesea Stamate
• Victoria Sanduța
• Tatiana Cretu

Moldova uses a closed-list, proportional representation system within a single nationwide constituency. Voters cast ballots for party lists, not individual candidates (unless candidates register as individuals), and seats are allocated based on each list’s share of the vote across the country. There are different thresholds for the type of candidates to earn seats: 5 percent for individual political parties or organizations to gain representation, a 7 percent threshold for electoral blocs, and a 2 percent threshold for independent candidates.

Elections in Moldova are regulated primarily by the Electoral Code, most recently rewritten in 2022, as well as a separate law on postal voting. The legal framework also includes the constitution; the laws on political parties, assembly and advertisement; relevant sections of the Criminal Code, the Contraventions Code and the 2018 Administrative Code; and regulations and instructions adopted by the CEC to supplement the Electoral Code. 

Moldova is also a member of major international and regional human rights treaties and agreements related to holding inclusive and democratic elections. These include treaties connected to Moldova’s membership in the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Citizens of Moldova who are eligible to vote, 18 years of age or older on Election Day, and able to meet the procedural requirements laid out in the election code (i.e., submit paperwork on time) may run for parliament. 

The Electoral Code stipulates that the following are ineligible to run as candidates for any office: active military personnel, persons sentenced to prison by a final court decision, persons who have active criminal records for deliberately committed crimes, and private individuals whose right to hold responsible public offices has been removed by a final court decision. 

Eligible candidates subject to conflict of interest regulations and other special legal rules to prevent the unlawful use of administrative resources must suspend their professional activities during the 30-day campaign period.

The CEC determines the maximum amount of funds that may be used to finance electoral contestants’ campaigns. This amount is equal to 0.1 percent of the revenues set in the state budget law for the year an election will take place. For the 2025 parliamentary elections, the CEC has determined that this amount is 75,932,486 Moldovan leu (MDL), or approximately $4.5 million U.S. dollars (USD).

The CEC also determines the ceiling for funds that an initiative group supporting an independent candidate can use in an election by dividing the equivalent of 0.1 percent of revenues set in the state budget law (for the year when the election takes place) by the number of voters in the State Register of Voters on the day of the calculation. This quotient is then multiplied by 2,500 (the maximum number of signatures an initiative group supporting an independent candidate can collect). For the 2025 parliamentary elections, the CEC has determined that the amount is 57,564 MDL (approximately $3,500 USD).

The CEC establishes the amount of interest-free loans available to contenders in parliamentary elections (political parties, electoral blocs, and independent candidates) regardless of the number of registered candidates and/or the elective positions for which they are running. The amount of interest-free loans allowed for the 2025 parliamentary elections is 50,000 MDL (approximately $3,030 USD) for parties and blocs and 10,000 MDL (approximately $610 USD) for independent candidates.

In accordance with Article 54 of the Electoral Code, Moldovans may donate up to the equivalent of a total of six months’ average wages to support initiative groups and electoral campaigns but cannot give more than 30 percent of their total income from the previous year. Donations made by a public servant are capped at 10 percent of that individual’s annual income and may not exceed six months’ average wages, which the CEC has calculated at 96,000 MDL (approximately $5,820 USD). Individuals who receive income only through social benefits may only donate an amount equivalent to one average month’s worth of allowance from those sources, which the CEC has determined to be 16,100 MDL (approximately $970 USD). 

Citizens may make cash donations equal to or less than one average monthly wage for that year; all other donations must be made by bank transfer. Donations in foreign currency coming from foreign banks must be made by legal persons and are limited to the equivalent of 12 average months’ wages for that year. Donations from legal entities are also limited to the equivalent of 12 average months’ wages. In-kind donations, such as volunteer services, are included in the donation limits and must be declared at market value; however, the definition of “market value” is not specified in the Electoral Code or statements from the CEC.

The CEC is Moldova’s primary electoral management body. Current law provides for nine permanent CEC members including a chairperson, deputy chairperson and secretary. One member is appointed by the president of Moldova, and the others are nominated by political parties based on the proportion of seats they hold in the parliament. The chairperson and secretary are elected from among the members of the CEC by an absolute majority; they may be nominated by any CEC member, including themselves. All CEC members are elected for five-year terms, and there are no term limits. 

The CEC has the power to draw up and approve regulations and instructions for electoral procedures, ensure the exercise and protection of Moldovan citizens’ electoral rights, oversee and control financing of political parties and electoral campaigns, enforce the Electoral Code, issue decisions on the organization and conduct of elections, compile and verify voters’ lists, provide voters with electoral information, examine election-related complaints, tabulate elections at the national level, collaborate with other bodies to organize and conduct elections and perform other duties as defined under articles 25 through 28 of the Electoral Code.

Lower-level electoral management bodies include second-level district electoral councils (DECs), first-level DECs and precinct electoral bureaus (PEBs). DECs establish and supervise PEBs; enforce the implementation of the Electoral Code; collect and systematize information from PEBs; tabulate district-level election results, draw up reports and deliver them to the CEC; and carry out other responsibilities.

Each DEC has an odd number of members, ranging from seven to 11, with one member acting as chairperson. The chairperson of the second-level DEC, a permanent position, is appointed in accordance with Law No. 158/2008. Of the other members, two are appointed by the court that has jurisdiction over the area where the DEC is located, two are appointed by the second-level local council that has jurisdiction over the area and one is appointed by each political party represented in parliament. First-level DECs are established by second-level DECs and must also consist of seven to 11 people. Two members are nominated by the relevant first-level local council; all others are nominated by political parties represented in parliament. For polling stations abroad and on the left bank of the Dniester River, the CEC establishes separate electoral councils headquartered in Chisinau. 

PEBs are the lowest-level electoral body. They consist of five to 11 members, three nominated by the corresponding local council and the others by a political party represented in parliament (one per party). PEBs are in charge of receiving, storing and updating voters’ lists and ballot papers; preparing polling stations; organizing voting on Election Day; ensuring order at polling stations; tabulating votes, drawing up reports and delivering them to the relevant DEC; and other tasks.

Except for the second-level DEC chairpersons, who hold permanent positions, DEC and PEB members’ mandates end once election results have been validated and all outstanding complaints are resolved.

All prospective election officials, at any level, are encouraged to attend training courses at and must receive certification from the Center for Continuous Electoral Training, after which they are added to the Register of Electoral Officials. Only certified individuals can be nominated to serve as DEC or PEB members. If political parties, courts, or local councils fail to nominate members before DECs or PEBs are formed, the CEC fills the remaining seats with individuals from the register.

Moldovan citizens aged 18 or older on Election Day have the right to vote unless that right has been voided by a court decision. Voter registration is passive and based on information from the State Register of the Population. Citizens on the left bank of the Nistru River and out-of-country are not included in the voters’ list, but may be added to a supplementary list on Election Day.

For the September 28 parliamentary election, 3,299,396 voters were registered to participate as of September 3, 2025.

The Electoral Code recommends that polling places be established on the ground floor of public buildings and set up to facilitate access for elderly persons and persons with disabilities. Additionally, polling places may be established in hospitals, health resorts, mental healthcare institutions, and elder-care homes with at least 30 voters. Voters who cannot come to a polling station due to an illness (or other reason) may request that the relevant PEB select two bureau members to come to their residence with a mobile ballot box and all relevant voting materials. Such requests must be submitted starting within two weeks of Election Day and until 2 p.m. on the eve of Election Day, or until 2 p.m. on Election Day if a voter submits a medical certificate. To find out if their polling station is accessible to persons with disabilities, voters can check the accessibility map prepared by the CEC.

To ensure the participation of ethnic minorities, district-level electoral bodies can request that ballot papers be prepared in languages other than Romanian. For the September 28 election, CEC and the Center for Continuous Electoral Training (CICDE) has prepared voter education campaigns in Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Romani, Bulgarian, and Găgăuz languages, and voter education materials with sign language interpretation. 

Out-of-country voting is allowed for the parliamentary election. For those voting in person at polling stations abroad, preregistration is optional.

Moldovan citizens in Australia, Canada, Finland, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Sweden and the United States have the option to vote by mail. According to the timeline provided by the CEC, citizens who have registered to vote using this method will receive their ballots after September 8 and must ensure that their ballots are delivered to their designated polling station by 6 p.m. local time (of the polling station) on September 26.

Moldova’s Electoral Code allows for the accreditation of national and international election observers, including party and/or candidate representatives and media.

National election observers are defined as Moldovan citizens who have the right to vote and are accredited by the proper electoral bodies at the request of a Moldovan civil society association in the electoral field, a training or research institution in the electoral field or a nongovernmental organization in the human rights protection field. To receive accreditation, national observers must submit a request to either a DEC or the CEC by following the instructions on the CEC website. Those accredited by a DEC may observe only the election in that district.

International observers are defined as Moldovan citizens who are eligible to vote or foreign citizens who represent a foreign electoral authority, an international organization, a foreign government, a foreign civil society organization or a foreign nongovernmental organization in the field of elections or democratic governance. To receive accreditation, international observers must receive a letter of invitation from the CEC, or from the Moldovan Foreign Ministry at the request of the CEC. Prospective observers must then follow the instructions on the CEC website to submit the request.

Requests for accreditation must be submitted to the CEC or a DEC no later than seven days before the election. The election management body must either reject or accept a request from a potential national observer no later than five days after receiving it, and must reject or accept a request from an international observer no more than 10 days after receiving it — or no later than the day before Election Day, at the latest, if the request is submitted less than 10 days before the election.

The PEB chairperson is responsible for ensuring public order at and within 100 meters of each polling station on Election Day, and is empowered to make binding decisions in that area. PEB members and the chairperson are also responsible for ensuring ballot boxes are sealed and ballot papers are secure. Only law enforcement authorities are permitted to maintain a permanent or continuous presence inside a polling station; police may enter with weapons only if they are casting a vote or have been invited by the PEB chairperson. 

After a polling station closes, the members of the PEB must remain on the premises until the vote counts are final. This begins with PEB members determining the number of voters by counting the signatures on voters’ lists and canceling any unused ballot papers. Next, the PEB chairperson opens the ballot boxes in the presence of poll workers and authorized observers. The PEB members then count the ballots for each electoral competitor separately. Once the results have been established, they are recorded in a protocol, and a report is drafted for the DEC.

For PEBs in Moldova, the chairperson physically hands ballot papers, voters’ lists, and other electoral materials to the DEC. All PEBs and DECs send such materials by non-electronic and electronic means using the State Automated Information System (SAIS) Elections. SAID is used during election day for the verification of voters and after counting for results transmission. During the counting and voting, there is also a camera recording the process. After receiving the protocols and other materials from the entire electoral district, the DEC tabulates the votes and records the results at its office.

For parliamentary elections, the results are given to the CEC to be displayed on the CEC website and displayed at the entrance of the DEC premises. Thereafter, the CEC is responsible for tabulating the final election results at its premises.

Upon receipt of vote tallies from all DECs, the CEC has 5 days to issue the final results protocol. After this is completed, preliminary results are placed on the website immediately and directly by PEB. 

Per the Electoral Code, the number of mandates each competitor obtains is calculated by first dividing the number of valid votes given to each competitor by the total number of votes cast. Then, assuming they exceed the minimum vote percentage threshold, the proportional amount of votes per competitor is multiplied by the number of seats in parliament to calculate the number of mandates per competitor.

The CEC has 5 days to tabulate results and adopt the tabulation protocol. Within 24 hours after tabulating the election results, the CEC should submit to the Constitutional Court the documents referred to in Article 85 of the Electoral Code and the lists of elected Members of Parliament and alternate candidates. The Constitutional Court then has up to 10 days to confirm or deny the legality of the election results.

Individuals, political parties, candidates,  and initiative groups wishing to register a complaint related to the organization and conduct of elections must submit the request in writing, either by post or electronically, to the competent authority defined under articles 91, 97, and 98 of the Electoral Code. During the electoral period, complaints must generally be submitted within three days of when an offense is identified, although Article 95 of the Electoral Code defines specific deadlines and regulations for some requests.

After a complaint is submitted, the competent authorities must examine and issue a ruling within three days, but no later than Election Day. Article 100 of the Electoral Code defines some exceptions to this timing. Appeals of the competent authority’s ruling on a complaint must also be submitted to the competent Court, defined in Article 98 of the Electoral Code, within three days of that decision. Thereafter, the Court has three days to examine and rule on the appeal.

• Electoral Code of the Republic of Moldova (2022) – English Translation
• Constitution of the Republic of Moldova

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) implements the Moldova Electoral Support Program. This project is funded with UK International Development from the UK government. IFES first worked in Moldova in 1994. Alongside state and independent local partners, IFES provides technical assistance through international good practice that supports the organic development of democratic elections and political culture.

These FAQs reflect decisions made by the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Moldova as of September 22, 2025, to the best of our knowledge. This document does not represent any IFES policy or technical recommendations.