Politics

Romania sees record voter turnout in parliamentary elections, media reports

People of Romania flock to the polls EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT via PAP/EPA.
People of Romania flock to the polls EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT via PAP/EPA.
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Romania recorded the highest voter turnout in its history during Sunday’s parliamentary elections, with nearly six million people casting ballots by 3:00 PM.

This represents over 33% of registered voters, compared to just 19.6% at the same time during the previous parliamentary elections in 2020, according to the Libertatea portal.

The surge in voter participation follows last week’s first round of the presidential election, where turnout also exceeded expectations.

By 3:00 PM that day, 5.7 million votes had been cast, equating to 32%. Parliamentary elections typically attract lower voter engagement than presidential polls.

Analysts suggest the sharp increase reflects Romania’s charged political landscape, with far-right candidate Călin Georgescu’s unexpected success in the presidential race galvanizing both mainstream and populist voters.

Georgescu’s performance in the first round, described as a “surprising victory” by Libertatea, appears to have motivated supporters of traditional “mainstream” parties as well as backers of anti-system movements, leading to what some are calling an unprecedented mobilization.
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