Over 4,500 Romanians abroad turn out to vote so far; polling stations open in Italy, Spain, UK

More than 4,500 Romanians from abroad had turned out to the polls as of 1:00 pm on Friday, on the first voting day of the presidential runoff, with polling stations opening in Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom.

Another 17,500 Romanians have voted by mail, the Central Electoral Bureau said.

In the second round of the presidential election, Romanians from the diaspora have again three days to express their option at the polls - on Friday, Saturday and Sunday - in 835 polling stations. The voting hours are as follows: on Friday between 12:00 and 21:00 hrs local time, and Saturday and Sunday between 7:00 and 21:00 local time. Voters who are inside the polling station at 21:00 hrs as well as those queuing outside in order to exercise their right to vote are allowed to cast ballots until 23:59 hrs local time at the latest.

Most polling stations for Romanians have been set up in Spain - 143, in Italy there are 142 polling stations, of which five are in Rome.

In Germany, the Permanent Electoral Authority approved 79 polling stations, and 72 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Romanians in France have 50 polling places to cast their ballots at.

The map and the list of the foreign polling stations are available on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - www.mae.ro. AGERPRES