I have number 17 on the ballot for Galati City Council

Local elections in Romania are conducted city-wide. The are thus no electoral districts. Every resident is voting for the Mayor who is running as an individual supported by a party, a coalition of parties, or as an independent candidate. This year, there is no second run-off. The candidate who gets more votes, even only one more than the runner-up, is winning.

The situation is a little different for the City Council. We have a mixed system, where parties have lists of candidates and the independent candidates have their own boxes on the ballot. The voter can stamp only one box, that is a party list or an independent candidate. The City of Galati, having about 260,000 people, is electing 27 members of the City Council. That is a threshold of 3,7% for every independent candidate. My name is on box 17.

Once you are at the voting booth, you get 4 ballots: one for the Mayor, one for the City Council, one for the President of the County Council, and another one for the County Council. For the position of Mayor of the City of Galati, Nicusor Ciumacenco is number 12 on the ballot, being the only independent candidate.

One of the most difficult tasks to run as an independent candidate is to raise signatures from at least 1% of the residents of the city if running for the City Council and from at least 2% if running for the Mayor.