The Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration ca-n launch the process of organizing the 125 polling places in the three single-member constituencies that will be established abroad for the parliamentary elections  of February 24, 2019.

The Central Election Commission, in its January 19 meeting, took cognizance of the decision concerning the opening of polling places abroad, IPN reports.

CEC vice prezident Rodica Ciubotaru said that for constituency No. 49 eastwards Moldova, there will be opened 27 polling places. A number of 83 polling places will be established for constituency No. 50 westwards Moldova and 15 polling places for constituency No. 51 that covers the U.S. and Canada.

Making a comparative analysis with the previous elections, Rodica Ciubotaru said more polling places will be opened for the upcoming elections abroad. At the parliamentary elections of 2010, the figure stood at 75, at the elections of 2014 at 95, while at the presidential elections of 2016 at 100.

For the elections of Februarie 24, 2019, the CEC will transmit over 625,000 sets of ballots.

Asked to comment on the assertions that polling places are established where it is not necessary, Rodica Ciubotaru said not all the states allow establishing polling places outside embassies and consular offices. In a number of stares, namely Croatia, Georgia, Norway and the United Arab Emirates, polling places this year will be established for the first time.

At the same time, the CEC decided that the Moldovans living in the Transnistrian region in the upcoming elections and consultative referendum will vote in constituencies  No. 47 and 48 at 47 polling places. At the presidential elections of 2016, three distinct polling places and 27 mixed polling places were established for the Moldovans from the Transnistrian region. About 140,000 citizens could vote  then.