At Stake in this Election: 

On October 20, 2024, Moldova will hold a referendum on pursuing EU membership. 

The presidential election will be held concurrently. 

Government Structure:  

• Chief of State: President Maia SANDU (since 24 December 2020) 

• Head of Government: Prime Minister Dorin RECEAN (since 16 February 2023) 

• Assembly: unicameral Parliament with 101 seats 

Electoral System:  

• The President is directly elected by absolute majority vote in up to two rounds. The President may serve up to two consecutive 4-year terms. 

• The Prime Minister is appointed by the President after consultation with the Parliament. 

• In Parliament, 51 members are directly elected by plurality vote in single-seat constituencies, and 50 members are directly elected by closed-list proportional representation vote in a nationwide constituency. All 101 members serve 4-year terms. 

Past Referendum: 

In 2010, Moldovans voted to institute direct presidential elections with 88% of voters in favor. Voter turnout was 31%. 

New/Unique in this Election: 

In 2022, a new Electoral Code was passed by Parliament including new standards for media coverage of elections, voter identification, and elections held during emergencies. 

Information for Voters: 

Campania de informare / Information campaign (in Romanian) 

Key Deadlines: 

• Voter registration deadline: 13 October 2024 

Population and Registered Voters: 

• Population: 2,486,890 (2023 est.) 

• Registered Voters: 3,300,790 (2024) 

Gender Data: 

• Female Population: 1,300,760 (2023 est.) 

• CEDAW Status: Acceded 1 July 1994 

• Gender Quota:  Yes; at least 40% of candidate slots on parliamentary candidate lists must be allocated to women and at least 40% must be allocated to men. 

• Number of Female Legislators (pre-election): 40 out of 98 (41%) in the Parliament  

• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 0.763, High, Rank 86 (2022)  

• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: 11 (2023) 

Disability Data: 

• CRPD Status: Signed 30 March 2007, Ratified, 21 September 2010 

• Projected population with a disability: 397,902 (2023 est.) 

IFES Resources: 

• Does IFES have a presence in Moldova: Yes, country office   

• Election Snapshot: Yes

• ElectionJudgments: Yes, 1 judgment