Romanian government sets presidential election schedule, candidates can register by mid-March

In a decision adopted in its Tuesday meeting, the Romanian government set the electoral schedule for the upcoming presidential elections. The first round is scheduled for May 4, followed by the runoff on May 18.

The deadline for submitting candidacies to the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) by parties, political and electoral alliances, organizations of citizens belonging to national minorities, and independent candidates is March 15. BEC will have two days to issue its decision on the registration or rejection of candidacies or electoral symbols.

The electoral campaign will begin 30 days before the election date, on April 4, and end on May 3, at 7:00 AM.

Voting on the territory of Romania will take place on May 4, starting at 7:00 AM and ending at 9:00 PM. Voters who are at the polling station or waiting in line to vote at the local time of 9:00 PM will be able to exercise their electoral right until no later than 11:59 PM.

Voting abroad will take place over three days, starting Friday. On May 2 and May 3, Romanians can vote from 7:00 AM to 9 PM local time (with the possibility of extending the closing time to no later than 11:59 PM).

The third day of voting abroad will be May 4, from 7:00 AM local time to 9:00 PM local time, but no later than 9:00 PM local time in Romania. Voters who are at the polling station or waiting in line to vote at 9:00 PM local time (but no later than 9:00 PM Romanian time) can exercise their electoral right until no later than 11:59 PM local time, but no later than 11:59 PM Romanian time.

In the event of a second-round election, the names of the two candidates who will participate in the second round will be made public no later than May 9. On the same day, the electoral campaign for the second round will begin, and it will end on May 17, at 7:00 AM.

Romania has to rerun the presidential elections after the Constitutional Court (CCR) decided to annul last year's entire presidential election process following declassified reports alleging Russian involvement in cyber activities aimed at undermining the integrity of the first round held in November. Ultranationalist independent candidate Călin Georgescu scored a surprise win in the first vote and was due to face reformist candidate Elena Lasconi (USR) in the second round on December 8.

Călin Georgescu may try to run again for president at the May elections, alongside other confirmed names, such as Bucharest mayor