Voting Abroad

Voting center locations - updated with the latest information from the Romanian National Referendum to amend the Constitution held on October 6-7, 2018, and other relevant updates from 2019.

It is deeply concerning that a vast majority of Romanians living and working abroad are being deprived of their fundamental right to vote. Most astonishingly, out of 3 million Romanians living abroad, only a small percentage exercised their right to vote in various elections. The following figures speak for themselves:

• 0.7% voted in the November 2008 parliamentary elections;
• 4.9% voted in the 2009 presidential election;
• 1% voted in the 2014 European parliamentary elections.

According to the statistics, inadequate communication and the remote locations of voting centers prevent eligible voters from voting. It is imperative that the relevant authorities take necessary measures to address these issues and ensure that all eligible voters, irrespective of their location, can exercise their fundamental right to vote.

The FLAME Foundation emphasizes that Romanians living abroad must be able to participate in both local elections held in their host countries and Romanian elections. Ensuring that Romanians living abroad have access to voting should be considered a national priority.

If the voter turnout rate of Romanian citizens living abroad increases, it could exert significant pressure on the Romanian authorities to organize public debates to protect these citizens and their families, especially if vulnerable individuals such as the elderly or children are involved.

Exercising the right to vote is a civic duty and a powerful tool for change. It helps maintain a strong relationship between the Romanian diaspora and our homeland, with medium and long-term benefits, such as making investments in Romania, pro-Romanian political or economic advocacy in other countries, and the return of skilled workers who gained experience abroad.

BARRIERS TO SUCCESS

We have identified three main barriers that may hinder the success of this project:

• Romanians living abroad face a shortage of easily accessible polling stations, with only one station for every 50,000 people, compared to one station for every 1500 people in Romania.


• Romanian voters face the challenge of traveling long distances to reach the nearest voting centers.


• There is no alternative voting system available for Romanian citizens who reside abroad.