Ion casts a vote of hope for Moldova's future

"Lume, lume", "Voteaza, lume!". « People, people », « vote, people! ». Spurred by a campaign based on a popular folk song, the people of Moldova cast their votes during the early parliamentary elections on 28 November 2010.

Thanks to the introduction of an advanced electoral system supported through a joint effort by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Union (EU), this year’s voter turnout was higher than ever.

"For a society in transition, it is significant we exercise our right to vote", said Ion, a Moldovan national currently residing abroad.

More than a half a million Moldovans have left the country in search of better opportunities, their remittances playing an important role in supporting Moldova’s shaky economy.

The new e-voting system was designed to bridge the gap between these emigrants and democratic development in the Republic of Moldova. It has been successfully implemented in 75 polling stations outside the country, thanks to the work of dedicated station employees, who were trained in election procedures and logistics by UNDP Moldova and the International Organization of Migrations.

Ion is proud of casting his vote from so far away. "It's our way to show we have a choice to be considered, an opinion to make," he says.

Nicolae Ciobanu is also thrilled with her vote. She is one of 10,000 visually impaired in Moldova and was unable to vote independently until now.

"This was the first time I could vote without the help of an attendant, being confident that I gave my vote to the electoral competitor who deserves it,” she said.

In the past, needing assistance to cast her vote left Nicolae feeling discouraged and like her privacy had been invaded. "I hope that more blind people will be able to participate in future elections," she added.

Moldovan voters witnessed another first during the elections: an electronic registry of voters, which llists all those registered to vote in a particular area. A survey conducted to evaluate voters’ perceptions showed that 90 percent of respondents found the registry extremely effective in ensuring fair and transparent elections.

UNDP has been providing electoral support to Moldova since 2008, with funding from the European Union. The aim of this support has been to strengthen the capacity of the Central Electoral Commission to organize fair and transparent elections.