As of 7:00 a.m. local time (6:00 a.m. in Poland), polling stations across Romania have opened. Voting has commenced in the repeat presidential elections. A total of eleven candidates are contending for the highest office in the state. The frontrunner is George Simion, representing the right-wing political party AUR.
A total of 18,979 polling stations have been established within Romania, with an additional 966 stations set up abroad. Voting will take place from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. local time (6:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. in Poland).
High Voter Turnout
Romanian citizens residing abroad have been eligible to vote since Friday. On Sunday, overseas polling stations will also remain open until 9:00 p.m. Approximately 400,000 Romanians voted abroad on Friday and Saturday—twice the number who voted in the first round of the presidential elections in November of the previous year.
Candidates and Electoral Prospects
The list of candidates includes eleven individuals. According to opinion polls, the candidates most likely to advance to the second round are George Simion, leader of the right-wing Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR); Crin Antonescu, a liberal supported by the ruling coalition; Nicușor Dan, the independent Mayor of Bucharest; and Victor Ponta, a former Prime Minister representing the Social Democrats.
Also running are Elena Lasconi, leader of the center-right Save Romania Union (USR); Cristian Terheș of the Romanian National Conservative Party; Marcela Sândru of the Humanist Social-Liberal Party; Sebastian Popescu of the New Romania Party; Silviu Predoiu of the National Action League Party; along with independent candidates John-Ion Banu-Muscel and Petru Funeriu.
Election Silence in Effect
Electioneering is strictly prohibited on election day. The publication of exit poll results is anticipated shortly after the closure of polling stations at 9:00 p.m. Romanian time.
Should no candidate secure an outright victory in the first round, a runoff will be held two weeks later, on May 18.
Context of the Repeat Vote
Sunday’s elections constitute a repeat of the prior voting process, following a ruling by the Constitutional Court in December of the previous year, which annulled the first round of presidential elections held on November 24, 2024. The annulment was based on allegations directed at one of the candidates, Călin Georgescu, who had emerged as the leading contender. He was accused of campaign misconduct, violations of fair electoral competition, and purported backing from an “external actor” (Russia).
As a result of the court’s decision, the entire electoral process had to be repeated. Although the allegations were ultimately not substantiated, Georgescu was barred from running again. Ten days prior to the repeat vote, the court reversed its previous ruling annulling the initial election, but this had no formal legal consequences.