Campaigning for the local by-elections starts on November 22nd at midnight and ends on the morning of December 6th at 7am, 24 hours before voting starts.
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The candidates registered in the electoral race have started the promotion, but the official electoral campaign starts on November 22, they are obliged to comply with several rules.
Legislation
The electoral calendar was established by Government Decision no. 891/2025 for the approval of the calendar of actions within the electoral period of the partial local elections of December 7, 2025. According to art. 10 of Law 115/2015: (2) In the case of partial elections, organized in the situations provided by Law no. 215/2001, republished, with subsequent amendments and additions, as well as by Law no. 393/2004 regarding the Statute of local elected officials, with subsequent amendments and additions, the date of their holding is set at least 35 days before the voting. In this case, the terms provided by this law, except for 24 hours, are reduced by half.
In the elections of December 7, the legislation for the organization of local elections will be applied first of all. In addition to the legislation already mentioned, there are also emergency ordinances, government decisions, decisions or rulings of electoral offices or decisions and instructions of the president of the Permanent Electoral Authority.
The legislation on the operation of the National Broadcasting Council, which also issues a decision for each election, also applies to the regulation of the campaign in the mass media.
Also, very importantly, Regulation (EU) 2024/900 of 13 March 2024 on transparency and targeting of a target audience in political advertising also applies in these elections. It imposes conditions on political actors for the marking of political advertising materials, both in the campaign and outside it.
The rules of the electoral campaign
In partial local elections, the electoral campaign starts 15 days before the election date (ie on November 22) and ends on the morning of the Saturday before the election date, at 7:00 a.m. Competitors can express themselves during the election campaign through rallies, gatherings, street advertising (posters only), the use of television, radio, press and other mass media, as well as through the online environment.
Electoral propaganda materials in the campaign
Only those produced and distributed after the start of the election campaign are considered campaign materials. The following types of materials are accepted:
– election posters with dimensions of no more than 500 mm on one side and 350 mm on the other side;
– electoral posters convening an electoral meeting – 400 mm one side and 250 mm the other;
– political advertising materials/audio or video electoral propaganda materials, broadcast by the audiovisual media for a fee, under the conditions of the Decision of the National Audiovisual Council no. 884/2025 regarding the rules for broadcasting the electoral campaign for the partial local elections of December 7, 2025;
– advertising in the print media;
– political advertising materials/online electoral propaganda materials;
– brochures, leaflets and other printed materials in the same category.
During the official campaign the following cannot be used:
– vehicles inscribed or stuck with campaign slogans, images of candidates, as well as any other references to electoral competitors;
– vehicles that broadcast audio materials, moving or stationary;
– no shows, celebrations, fireworks, etc. can be organized;
– banners, meshes, advertising tents, advertising pavilions, mobile advertising panels, advertising flags, shields, advertising screens, directional advertising signs, self-supporting advertising structures, advertising means, advertising panels, special advertising projects, illuminated advertising.
Calendar
The deadlines for the current election campaign are halved, so the duration of the campaign is 15 days:
November 22 – The beginning of the electoral campaign
November 23 – Final submission of applications
November 24 – The drawing of lots to determine the order number on the ballot papers
December 2 – Printing of ballots and designation of the president of the electoral office of the polling station and his deputy
December 6 – At 7.00 the electoral campaign ends
December 7 – The polling stations open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 9:00 p.m.
What happens after the end of the election campaign
24 hours before the start of voting and until the end of voting, the following are prohibited:
– the presentation of opinion polls, televotes or street surveys;
– broadcast of electoral advertising spots;
– inviting or presenting candidates and/or representatives of electoral competitors in the broadcasts and programs of radio and television stations.
– comments on the conduct of the campaign, as well as those on candidates and electoral competitors.
On voting day, the following are prohibited:
– the presentation of polls carried out at the exit from the polls, before the end of voting;
– comments regarding electoral competitors, before the end of voting;
– exhortations to vote or not to vote for a candidate or the candidacies submitted by electoral competitors.
AEP, call for a fair and transparent campaign
Before the start of the electoral campaign, the Permanent Electoral Authority urges the electoral competitors to contribute to the conduct of a fair and transparent campaign.
At the same time, AEP reminds the competitors that, in the electoral campaign, it is forbidden to use discriminatory messages or slogans, messages inciting hatred and intolerance and any forms, means, acts and actions of defamation and religious or ethnic enmity.
