BRIDGE Workshop for Moldovan Electoral Stakeholders on Out-of-Country Voting

On 27–28 November 2025, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), under the Moldova Electoral Support Project funded by the UK government through UK International Development, conducted a two-day out-of-country voting workshop for electoral stakeholders in Moldova. The event brought together 25 participants: members and officials of the Central Election Commission (CEC), representatives of the Centre for Continuous Electoral Training (CICDE), public authorities, district election officials, citizen observer organizations and journalists. The workshop was facilitated by accrediting level BRIDGE facilitators Pavel Cabacenco and Renata Levovski, with logistical support from IFES Moldova staff.

On the first day of the workshop, participants explored global trends in out-of-country voting, reviewed the different modalities through which citizens can exercise their right to vote abroad, and discussed Moldova’s experience in organizing out-of-country voting both in person and by mail. The second day focused on the practical side of organizing out-of-country postal voting: participants simulated specific stages of the postal voting process and examined existing challenges and potential risks. In a “make-it-happen” exercise, participants developed an action plan for extending postal voting to additional countries, should the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova decide to do so.

Through interactive exercises and experience-sharing, the workshop helped identify concrete solutions for improving the legal framework and procedural arrangements for postal voting, as well as for strengthening public trust in the electoral process. At the same time, the open dialogue among participants created conditions for more effective cooperation between electoral stakeholders, so that elections held outside the country, including by mail, are more transparent, professionally organised and aligned with international standards.

Participants highly appreciated the workshop, describing it as well organised and very useful. They also noted that bringing together different public institutions, civil society representatives and the media in the same format is particularly effective, as it helps build consensus on more sensitive issues, including those related to the organisation of out-of-country voting.