Romanian Foreign Ministry and Permanent Electoral Authority issue guide for Romanian voters abroad

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Electoral Authority of Romania have devised an informative guide for the Romanian nationals who are abroad. The guide explains how they can participate in the November 22 presidential elections in Romania, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the guide, any Romanian citizen older than 18 who has a residence visa or domicile abroad or who is temporarily abroad can take part in the elections. The persons suffering from mental disorders and those who were deprived of the electoral rights by definitive court decision cannot vote. The Romanian nationals abroad can vote using the following documents: the identity card, the temporary identity card, the ordinary or electronic diplomatic passport, the ordinary or electronic work passport, the ordinary or electronic passport, the temporary ordinary passport and the travel permit that are valid on the election day. Those who lost the identification papers or they were stolen and those whose identification papers expired can vote using a travel permit issued at request by an embassy or consulate of Romania. The new identification papers are issued by the Ministry of Administration and the Ministry of the Interior through their specialized subdivisions. One can apply for new documents in the country, directly to the issuing authorities or abroad through the agency of Romania's embassies and consulates. The authorities warn that the passports cannot be issued by proxy. The Romanians eligible to vote who will be abroad on the election day can vote at any polling place set up abroad. The list of polling places is available on the Foreign Ministry's website and on the websites of Romania's embassies and consulates. The Romanian Foreign Ministry will open polling stations at embassies, consulates, general consulates, consular offices and honorific consulates as well as in the settlements where there are large Romanian communities. The Romanian citizens who can vote abroad will be written on an electoral billboard. The information will include the name, surname, personal numerical code, the domicile, the type, series and number of the identity card. The voters who will be abroad on the election day will be able to vote only after they declare in written form that they have not voted and will not vote anymore at those elections. The voting process starts at 7.00, local time, and lasts until 21.00, when the polling places close. The persons who will be inside the polling place at 21.00 will be able to exercise their right to vote. If none of the candidates wins 50% plus 1 vote, a second round of voting will be held on December 6, 2009 in the same polling places and electoral districts, according to the same rolls. Only the two leading candidates will compete in the second round. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced it will open 13 polling places in Moldova for the November 22 elections.