Romanian NGO suggests new voting methods for Romanians abroad

The Global Romanian Students and Young Professionals Society (GRSPSociety) and the Resource Center for Human Rights (CReDO) are considering possibilities of ensuring the voting rights of the Romanians who are abroad. The results of the study will be made public by the end of this year. Afterward, proposals will be formulated and submitted to the Romanian authorities, Info-Prim Neo reports. In a public debate, CreDO director Sergiu Ostaf said an efficient voting method that does not imply costs is voting by proxy, when a person gives another person the authority to vote instead of them. A disadvantage of this method is the insufficient guaranteeing of the principle of electoral equality. Another discussed method was correspondence voting, when the person sends the vote in an envelope by mail. This method enables better coverage, but is dependent on an efficient postal service. It implies lower financial and organizational costs. The third method is electronic voting that is accessible and costs less than voting by mail. It has been applied in several countries, but its safety is doubted. The fourth method is voting through embassies. The disadvantages of such a method include the higher financial and organizational costs and the fact that many voters do not live near embassies. Sergiu Ostaf said the necessity of such a study derived from the low percentage of Romanians who vote abroad. Only 2% of the 15% of Romanians who went abroad take part in elections. “It is a very low percentage. This study offers the Romanians more possibilities of exercising their right to vote,” he added. The study will be the base of a public debate which is to identify the most viable method. Discussions on the topic are held in 16 tows of 10 countries. The resulting analysis will be included in a public policy document that will be presented at the third yearly conference of GRSPSociety in Bucharest.