For Anastasia Ivanenko, chairing a precinct electoral bureau in Comrat ahead of the 15 November elections means paying particular attention to one essential task: making sure voter lists are accurate. Anastasia has worked in the electoral field since 2019 and has chaired a precinct electoral bureau at every election she has served. She will take on the same responsibility again for the elections to the People's Assembly of Găgăuzia and the position of Governor (Bashkan).

A month before election day, she joined a training session in Comrat organised by the Council of Europe for the people responsible for managing the practical work of elections, from organising polling stations to applying electoral procedures.

“I plan to apply what I learned when working with the lists and voters, to ensure that this is done correctly,” she said.

The session helped participants understand changes to the Electoral Code of the Republic of Moldova and strengthen their knowledge through practical exercises.

For Valerii Garbalî, chair of Precinct Electoral Bureau No. 35 in Comrat, voter registration is also a key concern. With almost 15 years of experience in the electoral field, he identified several situations that require particular attention when establishing voters' eligibility. These include changes of residence during the three months preceding elections and cases where newly issued identity cards do not show a registered address.

He plans to review the relevant procedures with every member of his bureau and examine changes to voter registration during this period.

For Valerii, the opportunity to discuss difficult cases and exchange experience was among the most valuable aspects of the training.

“Through discussions between the trainer and experienced members of electoral commissions, we develop ways to deal with challenging situations,” he said.

Maria Tomailî, chair of Precinct Electoral Bureau No. 4 in Comrat, highlighted the importance of understanding electoral legislation and organising polling-station work properly. She emphasised impartiality, the correct organisation of voting and vote counting, and equal rights for all voters as essential elements of a transparent electoral process.

These practical responsibilities were at the centre of 11 training sessions organised by the Council of Europe, in partnership with the Centre for Continuous Electoral Training (CICDE), between 17 September and 25 October.

Held in Comrat, Ceadîr-Lunga and Vulcănești, the sessions reached 323 members of electoral management bodies: 14 members of the Central Electoral Council of ATU Găgăuzia, 25 members of the three first-level District Electoral Councils and 284 members of 67 Precinct Electoral Bureaus.

Participants worked on electoral regulations and procedures, the preparation and management of electoral documents, and the responsibilities of electoral officials. The programme also covered integrity and impartiality, candidate registration, campaign-finance monitoring, polling-station accessibility, cooperation with authorised observers, and procedures for handling complaints and electoral violations.

The training comes ahead of a significant change in the legal framework governing elections in Găgăuzia. The 15 November elections for the People's Assembly and Governor (Bashkan) will be the first regional elections held under the Electoral Code of the Republic of Moldova, following amendments adopted in August 2026. Previously, regional elections were conducted under the Gagauz Electoral Code, which is no longer in force.

For the officials who will manage polling stations and electoral procedures, the immediate task is to put their knowledge into practice – from checking voter eligibility and preparing electoral documents to ensuring that voting and vote counting are conducted correctly and impartially.

The event took place within the Project ”Improving Electoral Practice in the Republic of Moldova (IEPRM) 2025-2028”, as part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2025-2028 and in support of the objectives of the New Democratic Pact for Europe, in cooperation with CICDE.