2020 Romanian local elections explained

Election Name:	2020 Romanian local elections
Country:	Romania
Type:	legislative
Election Date:	2020
Previous Election:	2016 Romanian local elections
Previous Year:	2016
Next Election:	2024 Romanian local elections
Next Year:	2024

Local elections were held in Romania on 27 September 2020.^[1] Initially planned for June 2020, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic led the Government of Romania to postpone the elections to a date no later than 31 December 2020, and extending all the terms of the local offices due to expire on 5 June 2020.

The aforementioned decision was deemed unconstitutional, and, in the end, a law was passed that extended the terms of the local officials up to 30 November 2020, and allowed the elections to be called by the Parliament, rather than by the Government, no later than that day. On 8 July 2020, the Parliament of Romania adopted a law setting the date of the elections on 27 September 2020.^[2]

Rules

Using a first past the post system, the following offices will be contested:^[3]

• All commune, town, and city councils (Local Councils, Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Consilii Locale), and the Sectors Local Councils of Bucharest (Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Consilii Locale de Sector)
• The 41 County Councils (Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Consilii Județene), and the Bucharest Municipal General Council (Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Consiliul General Al Municipiului București)
• The 41 Presidents of the County Councils (Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Președinții Consiliilor Județene)
• All mayors (Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Primării)
  • Of the communes, cities, and municipalities
  • Of the Sectors of Bucharest (Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Primării de Sector)
  • The General Mayor of The Municipality of Bucharest (Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Primarul General al Municipiului București)

Polls

Date	Poll source	Sample size	PSD	PNL	USR	PLUS	UDMR	ALDE	PMP	PRO	Other	Lead
28 Aug–4 Sep 2020	CURS	1,067	26%	33%	16%		4%	4%	5%	7%	5%	7%
1–7 May 2020	BCS	1,545	25.3%	32.7%	19.8%		5.9%	1.7%	5.3%	5.2%	4%	7.4%
11–15 April 2020	BCS	1,008	25.8%	34%	16.5%		4.2%	2.1%	6%	5.8%	5.7%	8.2%

Exit polls

Bucharest

Date	Poll source	Gabriela Firea (PSD)	Nicușor Dan (PNL-USR-PLUS)			Traian Băsescu (PMP)	Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu (ALDE)	Others	Lead
27 Sep, 19:30	CURS-Avangarde	39%	47.2%	8.6%	1.6%	3.6%	8.2%
27 Sep, 21:00	CURS-Avangarde	38.2%	47.8%	9.4%	1.6%	3%	9.6%
27 Sep	Sociopol	44%	45%	7%	—	4%	1%

Notes

Constanța

Date	Poll source	Decebal Făgădău (PSD)	Vergil Chițac (PNL)	Stelian Ion (USR-PLUS)		Mircea Titus Dobre (PRO Romania)	Claudiu Palaz (PMP)	Horia Constantinescu (PPU-SL)	Corina Martin (PER)	Victor Cruceanu (ALDE)	Anton Traian Antoniadis (The Hellenic Union)	Others
27 Sep, 19:30	CURS-Avangarde	23.5%	29%	29%		1.7%	2.9%	3.5%	3.5%	1.3%	1.1%	4.5%
27 Sep, 21:00	CURS-Avangarde	22.8%	28.5%	28.5%		1.7%	3.1%	3.6%	3.6%	1.3%	1.3%	5.6%

Results

|-|- style="background-color:#C9C9C9"! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Party! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" colspan=3 | Mayor of Bucharest (PGMB)! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" colspan=3 | Mayors (P)! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" colspan=3 | Local Councils
seats (CL)! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" colspan=3 | County Councils
seats (CJ)|-|- style="background-color:#C9C9C9"! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" |Votes! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" |%! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" |Seats! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" |Votes! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" |%! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" |Seats! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" |Votes! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" |%! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" |Seats! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" |Votes! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" |%! style="background-color:#E9E9E9;text-align:center;" |Seats|-| | style="text-align:left;" | National Liberal Party
(Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Partidul Național Liberal - PNL)| style="text-align:right;" |282,631(USR PLUS)| style="text-align:right;" |42.81%(USR PLUS)| style="text-align:right;" |1| style="text-align:right;" |2,578,820| style="text-align:right;" |34.58%| style="text-align:right;" |1,232| style="text-align:right;" |2,420,413| style="text-align:right;" |32.88%| style="text-align:right;" |14,182| style="text-align:right;" |2,212,904| style="text-align:right;" |30.76%| style="text-align:right;" |474|-| | style="text-align:left;" | Social Democratic Party
(Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Partidul Social Democrat - PSD)| style="text-align:right;" |250,690| style="text-align:right;" |37.97%| style="text-align:right;" |0| style="text-align:right;" |2,262,791| style="text-align:right;" |30.34%| style="text-align:right;" |1,362| style="text-align:right;" |2,090,777| style="text-align:right;" |28.40%| style="text-align:right;" |13,820| style="text-align:right;" |1,605,721| style="text-align:right;" |22.32%| style="text-align:right;" |362|-| style="background-color:#00aae7 "|| style="text-align:left;" | USR PLUS
(Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Alianța 2020 USR PLUS - USR PLUS)| style="text-align:right;" |282,631(PNL)| style="text-align:right;" |42.81%(PNL)| style="text-align:right;" |1| style="text-align:right;" |490,362| style="text-align:right;" |6.58%| style="text-align:right;" |28| style="text-align:right;" |504,563| style="text-align:right;" |6.85%| style="text-align:right;" |1,207| style="text-align:right;" |478,659| style="text-align:right;" |6.65%| style="text-align:right;" |65|-| | style="text-align:left;" | People's Movement Party
(Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Partidul Mișcarea Populară - PMP)| style="text-align:right;" |72,556| style="text-align:right;" |10.99%| style="text-align:right;" |0| style="text-align:right;" |353,005| style="text-align:right;" |4.73%| style="text-align:right;" |50| style="text-align:right;" |420,791| style="text-align:right;" |5.72%| style="text-align:right;" |2,137| style="text-align:right;" |423,147| style="text-align:right;" |5.88%| style="text-align:right;" |67|-| style="background-color: || style="text-align:left;" | PRO Romania
(Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: PRO România - PRO RO)| style="text-align:right;" |5,315| style="text-align:right;" |0.80%| style="text-align:right;" |0| style="text-align:right;" |331,878| style="text-align:right;" |4.45%| style="text-align:right;" |36| style="text-align:right;" |381,535| style="text-align:right;" |5.18%| style="text-align:right;" |1,885| style="text-align:right;" |356,030| style="text-align:right;" |4.95%| style="text-align:right;" |56|-| | style="text-align:left;" | Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania
(Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Uniunea Democrată Maghiară din România - UDMR/RMDSZ)| style="text-align:right;" |-| style="text-align:right;" |-| style="text-align:right;" |-| style="text-align:right;" |299,334| style="text-align:right;" |4.01%| style="text-align:right;" |199| style="text-align:right;" |362,442| style="text-align:right;" |4.92%| style="text-align:right;" |2,360| style="text-align:right;" |379,924| style="text-align:right;" |5.28%| style="text-align:right;" |92|-| | style="text-align:left;" | Alliance of Liberals and Democrats
(Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Alianța Liberalilor și Democraților - ALDE)| style="text-align:right;" |9,892| style="text-align:right;" |1.49%| style="text-align:right;" |0| style="text-align:right;" |124,649| style="text-align:right;" |1.67%| style="text-align:right;" |15| style="text-align:right;" |189,665| style="text-align:right;" |2.58%| style="text-align:right;" |861| style="text-align:right;" |209,411| style="text-align:right;" |2.91%| style="text-align:right;" |15|-| | style="text-align:left;" | Other political parties, independent contenders, and local alliances| style="text-align:right;" |39,034| style="text-align:right;" |5.91%| style="text-align:right;" |0| style="text-align:right;" |1,140,903| style="text-align:right;" |15.30%| style="text-align:right;" |282| style="text-align:right;" |1,086,907| style="text-align:right;" |14.76%| style="text-align:right;" |3,448| style="text-align:right;" |1,528,189| style="text-align:right;" |21.24%| style="text-align:right;" |209|-| style="text-align:left;" colspan = 2 | Total:| style="text-align:right;" |660,118| style="text-align:right;" |100| style="text-align:right;" |1| style="text-align:right;" |7,457,093| style="text-align:right;" |100| style="text-align:right;" |3,176| style="text-align:right;" |7,361,818| style="text-align:right;" |100| style="text-align:right;" |39,900| style="text-align:right;" |7,193,985| style="text-align:right;" |100| style="text-align:right;" |1,340|-| style="text-align:left;" colspan=20 | Notes|-| style="text-align:left;" colspan=20 | Sources: Romanian Permanent Electoral Authority|-|}

Deaths

The former PMP mayor of Sadova, Eugen Safta, who had just gotten re-elected, suffered a heart attack and died. His death was declared on 28 September 2020, at 2 AM EEST.^[4]

Ion Aliman, the PSD mayor of Deveselu, was re-elected for a third term,^[5] despite having had died of COVID-19 10 days earlier.^[6] He received 1,020 votes, out of a total of 1,600. Until a term of partial elections will be held, the vice mayor will have acting mayor attributions.

Notes and References

1. Law . 135 . 16 July 2020 . 1 . . LEGE nr. 135 din 16 iulie 2020 privind stabilirea datei alegerilor pentru autoritățile administrației publice locale din anul 2020, precum și a unor măsuri pentru buna organizare și desfășurare a acestora . ro.
2. Web site: 2020-07-08. Kiss. Robert. Parlamentul a stabilit data alegerilor locale. A fost adoptat proiectul UDMR pentru organizarea alegerilor pe 27 septembrie. 2020-08-04. Digi24. ro.
3. Web site: LEGEA PENTRU ALEGEREA AUTORITĂȚILOR ADMINISTRAȚIEI PUBLICE LOCALE . 2013-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130313054256/http://www.alegeri-romania.ro/pagina/30/legea-alegerilor-electorale-locale-2012.html . 2013-03-13 . dead .
4. Web site: 2020-09-28. După ce a câștigat alegerile, primarul Sadovei, Eugen Safta, a făcut infarct și a murit. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200928054459/http://lupamea.ro/actualitate/dupa-ce-a-castigat-alegerile-primarul-sadovei-eugen-safta-a-facut-infarct-si-a-murit/. 2020-09-28. 2020-09-28. Lupa. ro. 1844-1971.
5. Web site: Berbecaru. Diana. 2020-09-27. Ion Aliman a câștigat alegerile la Deveselu. Fostul primar a decedat din cauza COVID-19. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200928062538/https://www.gazetanoua.ro/index/art/t/ion-aliman-a-castigat-alegerile-la-deveselu-fostul-primar-a-decedat-din-cauza-covid-19. 2020-09-28. 2020-09-28. Gazeta Nouă. ro.
6. Web site: Paraschiv. Luiza. 2020-09-17. Primarul din Deveselu a murit de COVID-19. Ion Aliman era internat la Spitalul Colentina din Capitală. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200919135111/https://www.mediafax.ro/social/primarul-din-deveselu-a-murit-de-covid-19-19547422. 2020-09-19. 2020-09-28. Mediafax. ro.