A new Council of Europe study finds that persons with disabilities in the Republic of Moldova continue to face significant barriers to exercising their voting rights. While recent reforms have ended blanket exclusions, practical and legal inconsistencies remain - particularly for institutionalised voters.

Mobile voting in psychiatric and residential institutions lacks sufficient guarantees for autonomy and secrecy, exposing voters to potential undue influence by staff. Risks linked to how mobile voting is organised and insufficient training for election officials further hinder accessibility. These gaps highlight the urgent need for targeted safeguards and accessible information to ensure equal access for all voters with disabilities.

The study recommends that the Republic of Moldova complies to EU standards, which urge member states to remove legal and practical barriers for voters with disabilities, in particular with intellectual and psycho-social disabilities, and establish mechanisms for transparency and inclusion. This means introducing robust governance structures, targeted training for electoral officials, clear and accessible information, and operational safeguards to ensure autonomy and secrecy in all voting procedures.

The study shows that decision-makers in the Republic of Moldova need to change their perceptions. Accessibility must become an unquestioned, integral part of the electoral process, not just addressed through procedures. These proposed changes also answer the recurrent recommendations by International Electoral Observation Missions calling on the authorities of the Republic of Moldova to advance electoral inclusion.

The Head of the Council of Europe Office in Chișinău, Natalia Voutova, highlighted Republic of Moldova’s advances in electoral law - especially ending blanket exclusions of persons with disabilities from voting. The Council of Europe plays a role when it comes to the integration of social and behaviour change in its actions to ensure that change happens, happens in a sustainable way, and happens according to the real needs and aspirations of the citizens of each and every member states.

President of the Central Election Commission, Angelica Caraman, expressed her commitment to promote some of the recommendations within the Commission for endorsement and further piloting during the next local general elections in 2027. Likewise, she stressed the importance of ensuring that electoral rights are effectively exercised, so that they do not remain merely guarantees enshrined in law, but are put into practice through effective and accessible mechanisms.

The workshop provided valuable input on actionable recommendations, including the removal of electoral law’s restrictions for people with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities settled by courts, development of dedicated institutional voting procedures, and greater involvement of disabled people’s organisations in oversight and co-design.

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 the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Moldova.