Voters in Bălți municipality and 14 towns and villages are invited to cast their votes in the snap mayoral elections to be held this Sunday.

A total of 52 candidates are running, 41 party-affiliated and 11 independents. Most candidates are registered in Bălți, 11, including one independent.

Polling stations will open at 7:00 AM and will close at 9:00PM. In addition to their IDs, voters are asked to bring their own pens for signing and wear face masks.

Besides Bălți, elections will be held in Hârtop (Cimișlia), Cupcini (Edineț), Palanca (Ștefan Vodă), Negurenii Vechi (Ungheni), Opaci (Căușeni), Hlinaia (Edineț), Ișcălău (Fălești), Bălceana (Hâncești), Cneazevca (Leova), Ucrainca (Căușeni), Călinești (Fălești), Pârlița (Fălești), Camenca (Glodeni), and Ștefănești (Ștefan Vodă).

There are about 130,400 eligible voters in the 15 constituencies and the election authorities have printed 131,000 ballots, including 102,000 for Bălți alone.

Saturday is the last day when voters unable to come to the polling station may request to vote at home through a mobile ballot box. On election day, such requests will only be accepted for those who need to self-isolate due to coronavirus.

The Central Electoral Commission accredited 79 observers and the local authorities 104 others. For the first time, observers will be able to report suspected electoral violations by using on online form at observator.cec.md.

Organized transportation of voters to polling stations is forbidden and so is campaigning on election day and the day before.