Moldavians are casting their votes at 2,004 polling stations opened in the republic and another 139 ballot stations in 26 countries to determine their next president.

Because no candidate received a majority of votes in the first round, the run-off between the top two candidates, Maia Sandu and Dodon, are being held in the country.

In the first round of the presidential election, leader of the opposition Party of Action and Solidarity, a liberal pro-EU political party, Maia Sandu received 36.1% of votes. The incumbent president Igor Dodon had 32.6% of votes during the first tour.

According to the country’s electoral system, the candidate who receives an absolute majority of the votes is elected president in the first round. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, a second round between the top 2 candidates is held two weeks after the first round. The candidate with the largest number of votes in the second round then becomes president. (ILKHA)