Part II

Voting abroad is permitted in a large number of countries (approximately 87), but there are also countries where it is currently being implemented (approximately 26) or is not permitted (e.g., the People’s Republic of China, Mongolia, the Republic of Chile, and countries in Africa). In Europe, with few exceptions, nearly all countries allow voting abroad. Romania is on the list of countries that allow voting abroad.

The exercise of the right to vote by Romanian citizens who have chosen to establish their residence or domicile abroad has occupied a relatively important place on the agenda of public debates in Romania, as the number of Romanian citizens who have chosen to live abroad has increased year after year.

Voting by mail, electronic voting, proxy voting, or voting by fax are alternative methods to the traditional method of casting a ballot in person at the polls. The introduction of these alternative methods could lead to an increase in voter turnout and would also resolve some of the organizational challenges. Each type of voting has both advantages and disadvantages, and the practices of other countries provide valuable experience that should not be overlooked.

The need for electoral law reform stems from the obligation to adapt to current realities as well as from the inevitable need to increase administrative efficiency.

Keywords: right to vote, voting abroad, alternative methods of exercising the right to vote, electoral law reform.