Voters in Moldova will be able to identify themselves at polling stations with the digital identity document in the EVO government app for the first time, in local elections on November 1 and in elections in the autonomous territorial unit of Gagauzia on November 15. The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) is testing the option with the Electronic Governance Agency.
To use it, a voter scans a QR code displayed at the electoral operator’s desk, checks the data shown in the app and confirms that it can be sent. The operator then validates the information before handing over a ballot paper. The agency says the data sent through EVO is limited to what is needed to check the voter’s eligibility.
Using the digital document is optional, and voters can still present a physical identity card. Ballots will continue to be cast on paper. The CEC said the pilot is intended to extend the option of identifying voters with digital documents to future national elections. “The pilot stage will allow us to assess how this solution works in practice and to prepare its use in future elections,” said CEC President Angelica Caraman.
EVO’s digital identity wallet is part of EVO 2.0, the latest version of the government app developed by the Electronic Governance Agency. It currently holds the identity card, driving licence and vehicle registration certificate, which are legally equivalent to their physical versions under Law No. 321 of November 9, 2023. Moldovan banks began accepting EVO digital ID for in-branch identification in August, with customers scanning a code displayed by the bank and approving the information requested.
The November 1 elections are new local elections for mayor in Cairaclia and Novosiolovca in Taraclia district, Costești in Râșcani district, Hăsnășenii Mari in Drochia district and Chirsova in Gagauzia, along with a village council election in Tomai, also in Gagauzia. A local referendum on banning the extraction of mineral resources within a kilometer of the village is scheduled the same day in Delacău, in Anenii Noi district.
On November 15, voters in Gagauzia will elect the region’s governor, known as the Bashkan, and its People’s Assembly. In both rounds, the digital document can be used only to verify identity at the operator’s desk, and voters will still mark paper ballots with a stamp in the voting booth.
Sources: Moldpres, TVR Moldova, IPN
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
