Over 39,000 law enforcement officers securing smooth running of presidential runoff

Over 39,000 police officers, gendarmes, firefighters, border guards and workers from other operational departments of the Interior Ministry (MAI) are making sure the second round of the presidential runoff today runs smoothly. 

"As many as 20,000 MAI staff are responsible for the security and protection of the 18,748 polling stations throughout the country, with over 3,600 MAI specialists checking and solving any complaints over electoral incidents, and the remaining called-up staff keeping public peace nationwide. In addition to the staff involved in today's missions, over 17,000 MAI staff kept the polling stations safe between yesterday at 18:00hrs and this morning," MAI spokeswoman Monica Dajbog said Sunday. 

She added that voting started without any particular problems nationwide. 

"The chair of the electoral bureau of the polling station is under an obligation to take all necessary steps, including public peace measures, in order for the elections to proceed under the best circumstance. Anyone refusing to comply with the orders of the polling station chair regarding public peace will be fined between 1,500 and 4,500 lei," said Dajbog. 

She added the powers of the chair of the polling station extend also outside the polling area, in the yard, around the polling place, as well as in the streets and public markets, up to a distance of 500 meters, and for keeping order, the chair may call on the law enforcement officers. 

According to the same source, 648 persons in the Romanian Police custody have requested to vote today. 

In today's runoff, Romanian citizens who are at least 18 years old can vote, and 536 young people have reached this age on Sunday. Mentally ill persons as well as well as disenfranchised people under a final court decision are not allowed to vote. 

"In order to support the citizens who want to vote but do not hold valid identity documents, the Directorate for Persons Record and Databases Management has recommended the county services and the office in Bucharest to stay open until 21:00hrs today," said Dajbog. 

She also said that in the country, citizens vote at the polling station where the street or their domicile or residence has been distributed, and if they are in another administrative-territorial unit, they can vote at any polling station there. 

The members of the electoral bureau of the polling stations as well as the computer operators of the electoral bureau of the polling stations and the security staff vote at the polling stations where they carry out their duties. Voters with reduced mobility can vote at any polling station that provides adequate access to the voting booth. 

A special ballot box will be used for bed-ridden voters; voters who on election day are elsewhere in the country and who because of the specific activity they carry out cannot show up at the polling station; enfranchised prisoners.