“If you know that the shop is open until 8pm, you make time to get there by that hour. We can make the people more responsible, if we want, and can also offer the functionaries of electoral offices a chance,” MP of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova Grigore Novac stated, referring to the proposal to reduce the voting period by two hours.

“There is also the reverse side of the coin – the working conditions of the members of electoral offices, who are many in number. It’s true that we should not violate the right to vote. But I don’t remember lines being formed at polling stations in the Republic of Moldova, with small exceptions, if only at polling stations established outside the country,” Grigore Novac stated in the public debate “Amendments to the Election Code: advantages and risks to democracy” that was staged by IPN News Agency.

The Socialist MP said the workday of the members of the electoral offices on the election day is long and the reduction of the voting period by two hours would be a chance for them.

“When the polling stations open at 7am, they should wake up at 5am and return home at 1am, after they perform all the required procedures and compile the reports. Those who take the sacks with ballots further can reach home in the morning. Some are overtired and can yield to pressure. They can make mistakes when counting the ballots and return to the very beginning or compile the report incorrectly and this has an impact on the quality of elections,” stated Girgore Novac, noting the proposal to reduce the voting period by two hours should be considered from a number of angles.

The debate “Amendments to the Election Code: advantages and risks to democracy” was the 144th installment of the series “Developing political culture through public debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.