George Simion leads amid rerun of Romanian elections
The voting in the repeated presidential elections has commenced in Romania. There are 11 candidates standing for election, with George Simion, the leader of the radical right, leading in the polls. Voting will continue until 9 p.m. local time.
What do you need to know?
- Voting in Romania: The presidential elections started at 7 a.m. and will conclude at 9 p.m.
- Candidates and polls: There are 11 candidates in the race. George Simion, the leader of the radical right, is leading in the polls. Other notable candidates include Crin Antonescu, Nicușor Dan, and Victor Ponta.
- Election rerun: These elections are being held again after the Constitutional Court annulled the first round in November 2024 due to electoral irregularities.
Who is leading in the polls?
In the repeated presidential elections in Romania, 11 candidates are in contention. George Simion, leader of the radical right-wing AUR party, is currently leading the polls.
His principal competitors are Crin Antonescu, backed by the ruling coalition, and Nicușor Dan, the mayor of Bucharest, who is running as an independent. Among the candidates is also former Prime Minister Victor Ponta.
What are the voting rules?
Voting in Romania started at 7 a.m. and will continue until 9 p.m. local time. Romanian citizens abroad began voting on Friday, with polling stations outside the country remaining open until 9 p.m. on Sunday. On Friday and Saturday, approximately 400,000 Romanians cast their votes abroad, which is twice the number of voters in the first round of elections.
Why are the elections being repeated?
Sunday's elections are a rerun, occurring after the Constitutional Court annulled the first round of presidential elections from 24 November 2024 last December.
This decision was prompted by allegations against one of the candidates, Călin Georgescu, who had initially taken first place. These allegations pertained to campaign violations, breaking the rules of fair electoral competition, and improper support from an "external actor" (Russia).
