The presidential election and EU membership referendum were held in Moldova

In Moldova, the public went to the polls for the presidential election and the referendum on joining the European Union (EU).

In Moldova, a presidential election and a referendum on joining the European Union (EU) were held. Voting started at 07:00 local time and ended at 21:00, with the first results expected to be announced at 22:00.

According to polls, the current President Maia Sandu, who advocates for EU membership, is expected to win the election. If none of the presidential candidates receives more than 50% of the votes, a second round will take place on November 3. In the second round, Sandu is expected to face off against 57-year-old Alexandr Stoianoglo, the former attorney general supported by the pro-Russian Socialist Party.

In the EU referendum, voters in Moldova will cast a “Yes” or “No” vote on the proposal to add “the integration into the European Union is the strategic goal of the Republic of Moldova” to the constitution.

After casting her vote, Sandu stated, “The vote we cast in the referendum will determine our future for the next decades,” calling on Moldovans to vote.

Stoianoglo, after casting his vote in the presidential election, announced a boycott of the referendum, stating that the country needs a new government and that if he wins, he would improve relations with the EU, Russia, the USA, and China.

As of 18:00 local time, the voter turnout was reported to be 42%.

The police accused Ilan Shor, a fugitive businessman living in Russia, of attempting to pay a group of at least 130,000 voters to vote “no” in the referendum and support a candidate he would announce at the last minute. Before the voting, the state radio in the capital Chisinau urged people not to vote for money and asked them to report such offers to the authorities.