The Central Electoral Commission informs about the conditions for participation as a candidate for the position of deputy in the People's Assembly of Gagauzia in the regional elections on November 15, 2026.

According to legal provisions, citizens of the Republic of Moldova with voting rights who have reached, including on the day of the elections, the age of 21, have lived or reside in the autonomous territorial unit of Gagauzia for at least 3 years, and, on the date of the elections, reside within its territory may be elected as deputies in the People's Assembly of Gagauzia.

Deputies in the People's Assembly of Gagauzia are elected by universal, equal, direct, secret, and freely expressed vote, for a term of 4 years.

The right to nominate candidates in the regional elections is held by:

• political parties that have the right to participate in elections based on the data provided by the Public Services Agency, registered until the date of entry into force of the decision of the People's Assembly of Gagauzia regarding the establishment of the election date for a new composition of the People's Assembly of Gagauzia, in accordance with their statutes (regulations) and the legislation in force;
• electoral blocs constituted and registered in accordance with electoral legislation;
• citizens of the Republic of Moldova who submit their own candidacy independent of political parties and electoral blocs and who, starting 70 days before the election day, have not held the status of a member of a political party and have not publicly expressed support for a political party.

Political parties and electoral blocs may nominate as candidates individuals who, starting 70 days before the election day, meet the conditions for independent candidates and have not held the status of a member of another political party than the one that nominates them or, in the case of the electoral bloc, than the constituent political parties of that bloc.

The nomination of candidates by political parties and electoral blocs is carried out by the decision of the authorized bodies according to their statutes or, as the case may be, the agreements for the establishment of electoral blocs. The nomination is confirmed by minutes or extracts from the minutes of the meetings in which the respective decisions were adopted.

In order to be registered, the independent candidate must be supported by at least 1% of the number of voters in the uninominal electoral constituency in which they are running, but not less than 100 persons. By exception, female candidates, as well as candidates from uninominal electoral constituencies with fewer than 500 voters, present subscription lists with at least 50 signatures.

The minimum number of signatures required for the registration of independent candidates in each uninominal electoral constituency is established by the Central Electoral Council of Gagauzia. At the same time, the maximum number of supporters' signatures submitted for verification may not exceed by more than 50% the number of signatures required.

Both independent candidates and those nominated by political parties or electoral blocs are registered in the uninominal electoral constituency corresponding to the locality in which they are running. A political party or an electoral bloc may nominate only one candidate in each uninominal electoral constituency.

The necessary documents for registration are submitted personally by the candidates to one of the three first-level electoral councils established by the Central Electoral Council of Gagauzia within the limits of the administrative-territorial units (districts) of the UTA Gagauzia. The competent electoral council examines the submitted documents and adopts, within 7 days, a decision regarding the registration of the candidate or, as the case may be, the refusal of their registration.

The specifics regarding the nomination and registration of candidates for the position of deputy in the People's Assembly of Gagauzia are provided in the Regulation on the nomination and registration of candidates for the elections to the People's Assembly of Gagauzia, approved by CEC Decision No. 4729 of September 15, 2026.

More information about the organization and conduct of the regional elections on November 15, 2026, is available on the official CEC website, in the section "Regional Elections 15.11.2026," as well as on the cec.md page by accessing the link: https://a.cec.md/ro/cec-informeaza-despre-conditiile-de-participare-la-alegerile-pentru-2781_120411.html