Moldova votes on EU future amid rising Russian interference

Polling stations opened at 7:00 AM local time (2:00 AM Eastern Time) and will remain open until 9:00 PM (4:00 PM Eastern Time).

2,221 polling stations have been set up within Moldova's territory, including 30 designated for citizens living in the unrecognized region of Transnistria. Residents of this separatist region can vote at polling stations in areas controlled by Chișinău.

Abroad, 231 polling stations have been established, which is over 100 more than in the previous elections.

According to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), in the Chișinău district, including the suburbs, voters will have access to 306 polling stations. A total of 2.8 million ballots have been printed for voting within the country, and 850,000 for abroad.

For the first time in six countries, where regulations permit it—namely the USA, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and Finland—Moldovan citizens have the option to vote by mail.

There are 11 candidates participating in the election: Alexandr Stoianoglo, Maia Sandu, Renato Usatii, Vasile Tarlev, Irina Vlah, Ion Chicu, Andrei Nastase, Octavian Ticu, Victoria Furtuna, Tudor Ulianovschi, and Natalia Morari.

In addition to the presidential election ballot, each voter will also receive a ballot for the constitutional referendum. The referendum question pertains to Moldova's accession to the EU. It will be valid if at least one-third of the voters participate.

Electioneering is prohibited on election day. The elections will be observed by 2,061 national and international observers accredited by the CEC.

Among them, 1,277 observers represent five national organizations, with the most personnel being sent by the Promo-Lex Association.

Furthermore, the CEC accredited 784 international observers. The largest mission is a 253-member group from the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the OSCE.

Although most Moldovans support joining the EU, and since Russia attacked Ukraine, openly pro-Russian politics have fallen out of the Moldovan mainstream, Kremlin-oriented forces remain active. They play on pro-Russian sentiments but primarily resort to illegal actions.

Just before the elections in Moldova, Russian hybrid activities aimed at undermining the pro-Western government's policies intensified. These activities include information campaigns and illegal money transfers of unprecedented scale to the country for pro-Russian activists and politicians and to buy votes.

In early October, the police reported that in September alone, Russia illegally transferred over $15 million to Moldova for voter bribery. The money reached the country through intermediaries, from bank accounts in Russia, and these activities were coordinated via bots on Telegram.