Moldova is gearing up for a presidential runoff on November 3 after no candidate secured the necessary 50 percent of the votes in the first round. According to preliminary results from the Central Election Commission (CEC), incumbent President Maia Sandu received 37.7 percent of the votes, while former Prosecutor General Alexandru Stoianoglo garnered 28.8 percent.
The constitution mandates that a candidate must achieve an absolute majority to win, otherwise the top two candidates face off in a second round. With 90.3 percent of the votes counted, Sandu and Stoianoglo emerged ahead of the other 11 contenders.
Voter turnout was strong, with 1,559,452 voters participating, representing 51.61 percent of registered voters. This exceeds the minimum requirement of one-third participation for the election to be valid.
On Sunday, over 2,000 polling stations across Moldova were open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., allowing citizens to cast their votes in this crucial election.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
