On Sunday, the citizens of Bucharest elect their general mayor in a partial local election that will establish the leadership of the Capital for the next 2 and a half years. Similar elections also take place in Buzău county, as well as in 12 other localities in the country.
For these elections, the authorities set up a total of 1,771 polling stations. In addition to the election for the position of general mayor of the capital and the one for the presidency of the Buzău County Council, partial local elections are also organized in Remetea (Bihor), Mihai Eminescu (Botoşani), Marga (Caraş-Severin), Dobromir si Lumina (Constanța), Găeşti (Dâmboviţa), Sopot (Dolj), Valea Ciorii (Ialomiţa), Vânători (Iaşi), Şieu and Poienile de sub Munte (Maramureş) and Cârţa (Sibiu).
Where and who can vote
The vote can be cast exclusively at the polling station where the voter is assigned according to their domicile or residence address. For those wishing to vote based on residence (floating visa), this must have been established at least six months before the election date, i.e. before 7 June 2025.
For the municipality of Bucharest, the rules are specific. Voters vote only in the sector where they have their domicile or valid residence, in the section to which they are assigned. Those who want to check the exact section where they are assigned can consult the electoral register online, available on the official website registrulelectoral.ro. Also, the complete list of sections is available on the roaep.ro website.
Photographing the ballot is prohibited
The voting process will take place between 07:00 and 21:00. Access to the voting booth is allowed on the basis of a valid identity document.
Romanian citizens can vote by presenting their identity card (simple, electronic or provisional), identity card, diplomatic or service passport (including electronic versions) or military service card, in the case of students from military schools. Citizens of the European Union residing in Romania vote under the same conditions, but must present their identity document accompanied by proof of address in Romania.
The procedure in the polling station begins with the scanning of the identity document in the IT system for monitoring the turnout (SIMPV). After verification, the voter signs the electoral roll, receives the ballot and stamp, then enters the booth. At the end, the folded ballot is inserted into the ballot box, and the stamp is returned to the members of the electoral office.
The authorities point out that photographing or filming the ballot within the precinct is strictly prohibited, as is any other form of disclosure of the electoral option. People who cannot vote alone for objective reasons have the right to enter the booth with a companion, provided that he or she is not part of the electoral office and is not a candidate or an accredited person.
A novelty for this election is the pilot project dedicated to visually impaired voters. AEP implements special measures in six voting centers in Bucharest, one in each sector, totaling 24 sections, to facilitate the exercise of the right to vote for these people.
Who are the candidates?
17 candidates entered the race for the Capital City Hall, but two of them – Vlad Gheorghe and Eugen Teodorovici – announced their withdrawal from the race. Gheorghe urged his supporters to vote for the PNL candidate, Ciprian Ciucu, while the former finance minister declared his support for the social democrat Daniel Băluță. However, as they have not announced their decision by the withdrawal deadline, the two will appear on the ballot and their votes will be counted.
The order on the ballot of the candidates for the position of general mayor of the Capital:
Position 1 – Cătălin Drula – Save Romania Union
Position 2 – Daniel Băluţă – Social Democratic Party
Position 3 – George-Valentin Burcea – Party of Young People
Position 4 – Ciprian Ciucu – National Liberal Party
Position 5 – Ana-Maria Ciceală – Health Education Nature Sustainability
Position 6 – Liviu-Gheorghe Floarea – National Peasant Party Maniu Mihalache
Position 7 – Gheorghe Macovei – Greater Romania Party
Position 8 – Oana Creţu – United Social Democratic Party
Position 9 – Mihai-Ioan Lasca – Patriots of the Romanian People Position
10 – Rare Lazar – Romania in Action Party
Position 11 – Anca-Nicoleta Alexandrescu – Electoral Alliance “Justice for Bucharest”
Position 12 – Dănuţ-Angelo Trifu – independent candidate
Position 13 – Eugen-Orlando Teodorovici – independent candidate
Position 14 – Gheorghe Neţoiu – independent candidate
Position 15 – Vlad-Dan Gheorghe – independent candidate
Position 16 – Angela Negrotă – independent candidate
Position 17 – Constantin-Titian Filip – independent candidate.
For the position of president of the Buzău County Council, the Electoral Office of Circumscription validated eight candidates. Among them is the former prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, who will face the entrepreneur Mihai Răzvan Moraru, supported by an alliance formed by PNL and USR.
The order on the ballot of the candidates for the position of president of the CJ Buzău:
Position 1 – Dogaru Aurel – SOS Romania
Position 2 – Brânzea Dragoș-Eugen – Young People's Party
Position 3 – Moraru Mihai Răzvan – Alliance PNL–USR
Position 4 – Ciolacu Ion-Marcel – Social Democratic Party
Position 5 – Avrămescu Ștefăniță-Alin – Alliance for the Union of Romanians
Position 6 – Mihai Budescu – Greater Romania Party
Position 7 – Pană Gheorghe-Gabriel – Conservative Action
Position 8 – Iordache Silviu – independent.
