Welcome to the 18th iteration of our bulletin! We aim to provide special insights into how disinformation works and spreads in Moldova in the weeks leading up to the presidential elections and the EU accession referendum. At Funky Citizens, we have been following trends and narratives linked to disinformation for the last few years, and we understand how intense this crucial period is. We would like to thank our colleagues from watchdog.md and stopfals.md for their contributions to this bulletin. Their materials and findings, quoted directly or indirectly, form the foundation of the current content.

Today, November 3, 2024, the Republic of Moldova is electing its president for the next four years. Over 2,200 polling stations, both within the country and abroad, are open from 07:00 to 21:00 local time, expecting more than 2.7 million voters. Voter turnout in the second round, at 18:30, remains high and is on track to surpass the total turnout recorded in the first round of this year. According to the data from the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), over 51% of Moldovans have voted, which means more than 1,570,671 people. This is compared to 1,125,000 voters, or about 43% of the total electorate, who had voted by this time in the first round. More than 274,000 Moldovan citizens living abroad have turned out to vote, surpassing the number of diaspora voters recorded in the 2020 elections, when a record was set. The elections were considered valid around 11:30, when 20% of the registered voters expressed their elctoral choice.

Aer casting her vote, President Maia Sandu stated: “The thieves want to buy our vote, the thieves want to buy our country, but the power of the people is infinitely greater than any of their wickedness. The power of Moldova is in each of you!”. Alexsandr Stoianoglo responded to fraud claimes: “I have never participated in vote-buying, and neither does the party that supports me in these elections”. Prime-minister Dorin Recean discussed foreign interference allegations: “We are currently under attack from criminal groups that have bought many votes. This is why it is important for us to mobilize and vote, because our vote will overcome the electoral fraud they are perpetuating. Both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other institutions are working intensively to prevent this attack on democracy”.

The Promo-LEX Observation Mission for the presidential elections and constitutional referendum on October 20 (November 3), 2024, reports that by 14:00, the central team processed 544 cases as incidents (in total since the opening of the polling stations), of which this statement includes 316 confirmed incidents.

The servers of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) were targeted by a cyberattack, according to a statement made on Sunday by Angelica Caraman, the president of the CEC, during a press conference. These attacks affected the speed of the voter registration application at polling stations, thus hindering the verification and registration process. Additionally, the official website of the Commission, www.cec.md, which displayed real-time voter participation, was non-functional throughout the day.

Before the voting, Moldova has accused Russia of planning to disrupt the expatriate voting process in the upcoming presidential runoff election. A Moldovan source, speaking on condition of anonymity, informed Reuters that polling stations in countries such as Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Canada, Romania, the U.S., and Britain could be targeted by Moscow for disruptions, including bomb threats. The Moldovan government has urged vigilance and taken measures to ensure the integrity of the electoral process. Throughout the day, these rumours have been confirmed: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) announced in the afternoon that authorities in Kaiserslautren and Frankfurt, Germany, and Liverpool and Northampton, United Kingdom, were alerted that some polling stations were mined. In Berlin, the window of a voting station was shattered by a person. False bomb threats were reported in Bucharest and Braşov (Romania) as well.

Since the early hours of voting, there are reasonable indications that several Moldovans are being transported in an organized manner to vote in Istanbul, Baku, and Minsk, as stated by the representatives of the Central Electoral Commission. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chișinău emphasized that “there are some indications of electoral tourism, which are being treated with increased attention”:

• The Belarusian press captured the atmosphere at the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Minsk. Moldovans who gathered to vote in the second round of the presidential elections are welcomed with hot tea and snacks. The uniforms of the volunteers display the initials ‘BSRM BY,’ which belong to the state-supported youth organization of Belarus, particularly backed by Alexander Lukashenko. In another video on social media, a group of Moldovans can be seen traveling to Minsk by bus to vote, accompanied by accordion music. Additionally, videos on social media show a group of Moldovans traveling to Minsk by plane.
• Several Moldovans arrived by plane and bus to vote in Baku, Azerbaijan. This is evident from images that have appeared on social media. In one video, Moldovans can be seen traveling by bus and then walking in groups from Baku Heydar Aliyev International Airport. Other videos show the lines at the polling station in Baku and the buses that allegedly brought the people. Previously, the police reported that organized transport was provided for Azerbaijan. Law enforcement is investigating and gathering evidence regarding air transport from Russia, including to Belarus and Turkey
• Moldovans residing in Turkey are exercising their right to vote at a polling station in Istanbul. In the images sent to our editorial office, citizens can be seen standing in line, dancing, and holding the flag of the autonomous region of Gagauzia. In the images published on social media, people at the polling station are sharing food and the flags of the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, and Gagauzia: ‘No one takes the Russian flag, they are afraid!’, says one of the voters.

Several suspicious individuals have been spotted at polling stations in Europe, filming or photographing voters. Social media posts show several cases: in Bologna, a phone was taped to a chair on a tripod to monitor voters; in Milan, a young woman was observed doing a live broadcast; in Tallinn, the ballot boxes are located on the 5th floor, and a woman on the first floor is filming the participants.

Citizens living on the left bank of the Dniester River mobilized in large numbers to vote. A traffic jam formed on the bridge connecting the cities of Rîbnița and Rezina due to a person in the crowd who refused to cooperate with the police and was carrying a suspicious box. The bomb threat turned out to be false, and traffic was restored around 4 PM. A couple of hours later, the bridge was closed again due to new bomb threats. The self-proclaimed authorities in Tiraspol accused the authorities on the right bank of the Dniester of intentionally blocking the free movement of citizens intending to vote in Rezina.

Hundreds of people arrived early this morning at the three polling stations in Varnița, where citizens from the left bank of the Dniester River can vote. In the evening, a bomb threat has been reported at a polling station in Varnița. Law enforcement officers are present at the scene. Most voters claimed they came by personal cars or public transport. However, a few individuals mentioned that some enterprises in the Transnistrian region provided transport for employees to travel to Varnița to vote.

A group of priests from Moldova was seen today at the polling station in Moscow. The clergy came to exercise their right to vote. Among them was Bishop Nicolae of Ceadâr Lunga, the vicar of the Diocese of Cahul and Comrat.

A 43-year-old woman from Drochia was detained for 72 hours for bribing a couple from the same district. During searches at her home, the police found around 24,000 lei and other evidence. The authorities were alerted by a 68-year-old man who reported that he and his wife were offered money to vote against an electoral candidate.

In this context, the CEC, together with national authorities, is urging citizens to report to the national emergency service – 112, if they have any information regarding such violations.

This newsletter is part of our ongoing work with the Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital Media, member of EDMO.