2.5 million Moldovans expected to go to the polls today

About 2.5 million Moldovans with the right to vote are expected to ballot boxes today to elect the members of the Parliament of Moldova. The polling places will be open from 7.00 to 21.00, Info-Prim Neo reports. A number of 1,977 polling places were set up overall – 1,944 in the country and 33 at Moldova’s diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad. All the Moldovan people that have identification papers can take part in the polls. The voters must have the identity card of the Moldovan citizen accompanied by the loose paper sowing the domicile or the place or residence or the Soviet-type passport of the 1974 model that shows that the person is a citizen of Moldova and includes the state identification number of the individual (IDNP) and the registration at the place of residence. The voters can also use the Soviet-type passport of the 1974 model that does not have the state identification number, but is valid for an unlimited period. The persons that refused Moldova’s identification papers for religious reasons can vote on the basis of the temporary identification paper F-9, which shows that the person is a citizen of Moldova and the holder’s place of residence. Other allowed documents include: the entry/exit passport, the sailor’s permit that can be used in the polling places set up abroad, the soldier’s permit for conscripts, and the permit issued by the Civil Service Center for persons that do their civil service. The persons whose identification papers have the period of validity expired will also be able to take part in elections. The citizens that do not have permanent or temporary registration can vote at the polling places set up at the place where the voter was last registered. The special stamp “Elections 05.04.09” will be put in the identification documents of all the persons that will vote as control measure aimed at preventing multiple voting. If the voter cannot come to the polling place for health or other well-founded reasons, the electoral office of the polling place designates, at the verbal or written request of the voter, at lest two members of the office to travel to the voter’s place with a mobile box and with the necessary supplies. The requests must be made until 15.00. The persons in custody, those sentenced to imprisonment whose sentence is not definitive, those punished administratively and put under arrest, and the persons sentenced to imprisonment by definitive court decision for minor or less serious offences can vote according to the same procedure. The Moldovan people with the right to vote that are at Moldovan health spas, resorts and hospitals located outside the patient’s permanent place of residence on the election day vote at the poling places situated near the given institution. The persons that are abroad can vote at the polling places set up at Moldova’s embassies and consular offices. The voters will have to choose from 17 election runners – 12 parties and five independent candidates: the Social Democratic Party; the Liberal Party; the Moldova Noastra Alliance; the Christian Democratic People’s Party; the Communist Party of Moldova; the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova; the Democratic Party of Moldova; the Centrist Union of Moldova; the Social-Political Movement “European Action”; the Spiritual Development Party “United Moldova”; the Conservative Party; Banari Sergiu; Uratu Stefan; Railean Victor; the Republican Party of Moldova; Tambalist Tatiana; Lomakin Alexandr. The Central Election Commission registered 21 contenders, but three parties and an independent candidate quit the race during the election campaign. The elections will be monitored by 3,134 observers. 2,532 are national observers representing 14 nongovernmental organizations and 6 election runners at overseas polling places. 602 are international observers on behalf of 28 international organizations, foreign governments and nongovernmental organizations Exit polls will be carried out at 200 polling places. The persons that already voted will be asked questions concerning their age, education, ethnicity. Afterward, they will be given by a questionnaire to indicate the party or independent candidate they voted for. After filled out, the questionnaire will be thrown into a special box. The first results of the parliamentary elections based on exit polls will be announced immediately after 21.00, while the definitive results an hour later.