Romanian delegated to a polling station in England: “The votes have been shared. Certain donkeys can happen”
A Romanian established in the UK, delegated to a presidential polling station, offered a unique account about the electoral process. He told about the atmosphere at the vote, the incidents of the past, the amount he receives and how he voted so far.
Elections. Source: Archive
A delegate in a voting section in the UK has offered some unique testimonies about how the electoral process derives at the section where it is rounded up.
“I am delegated to a voting section of the diaspora, operator on the tablet”sent a Romanian established in the UK to the users of the Reddit platform. In a short time, it was assaulted with hundreds of questions.
Agglomeration in the polling stations
The Romanian gave some details about the electoral process and reported that he noticed more voters than at the first round of the presidential elections of December 2024.
“It is about three times more animated, compared to the same time compared to last year. We have several hundred voters. And on Friday, in the section where they are, a small section in England, there were more voters compared to last year, every hour. But tomorrow they will be the most.”he says.
Asked what the mood is among the voters, the delegate says he cannot give too many details.
“I can only say that, in the diaspora, from what I noticed, the votes were divided by about two”he adds.
Regarding the previous elections, from December 2024, states that “”Last null was a preference for sovereigns, at least in my section ”.
He also states that the votes will be counted on Sunday, after the closing and sealing of the section, and after the polling stamps were sealed and removed by the members of the commission.
The delegate claims that, so far, there have been no incidents and no people who try to influence the voters' vote.
“Voters that make excess zeal or create scandal for various reasons. I cannot say if they have any political affiliation or if they voted in one way or another.” adds the Romanian.
However, he remembers that in the previous elections there were incidents.
“For example, pre-stamped ballots were found. I do not remember exactly who they were stamped, except that he was an independent candidate. However, those bulletins were canceled and were not included in the final count,” he recalls.
“Certain donkeys can happen”
The organizers are prepared for a larger influx of voters, being employed including security personnel.
“We have measures to organize a queue. As long as you reach the queue until 7:00 pm, England time (21:00, Romania time), you can vote. The closing time extends until everyone present in the queue. At 18:58 two members of the commission come out, mark the place where the tail ends, and all those are there.” he says.
He said that the room is permanently supervised video, and all the materials related to the voting process are sealed, except the bulletins.
“The stamps are sealed separately, after the seals have been stamped and signed. The room is also sealed, with all possible outputs – windows, doors, etc.,” adds the delegate.
He also emphasizes that the results of the elections cannot be influenced by those in the polling station.
“We are not manipulated, we have delegates from all parties. There are, indeed, cases where, due to lack of delegates, certain donkeys can happen, but they are usually discovered later.”
He also stated that it is illegal for voters to post photos with the stamped ballot.
“You can post, on the other hand, a picture with the voted sticker received on the bulletin or with the stamp applied on the passport.
500 pounds for five days
In terms of remuneration, the operator claims that this year will be lower than in the previous election:
“Last year there were about 550 pounds for a weekend. This year, weaker. I don't know exactly how much, because I didn't go for money, but there were cuts and we will receive less than 500 pounds. There are five days involved: Thursday, Friday, Sunday and, if applicable, and Monday morning.”
Asked if he receives food, drink and cigarettes, he said that the people in the section are organized alone and buy in common, and the expenses are not settled, except for those related to gas and accommodation for members affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE).
In the United Kingdom, the presidential elections in Romania are organized in special polling stations for the diaspora, managed by the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), in collaboration with the Romanian embassies and consulates.
The delegates of these sections (presidents, locations and members) are Romanian citizens residing in the United Kingdom, who have volunteered to participate in the organization of the election, both on the day of the elections and, possibly, on the days before the vote.
They verify the identity documents of the voters, offer the ballots, explain the procedure, complete documents and minutes, keep the voters' records, participate in counting the votes and contributes to ensuring the order and correctness of the electoral process.
In the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, they voted until Saturday at 5 pm- 40,362 voters.
