Permanent Electoral Authority – general view

The Permanent Electoral Authority is an autonomous administrative institution, fundamental to the Romanian state, which ensures the organization and conduct of electoral processes, in order to ensure appropriate conditions for exercising the voting rights, equal opportunities in political competition, transparency in funding of political parties activity and electoral campaigns. Legal framework Since its establishment by Law no. 286/2003, the attributions of the Permanent Electoral Authority have tripled by successive laws: Law no. 373/2004 for the election to the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate and for the amendment and supplemented, Law no. 334/2006 on financing activities of the political parties and electoral campaigns, as and for the amendment and supplemented, Law no. 33/2007 on the organization and conduct of elections of the members from Romania within the European Parliament, Law no. 35/2008 for the elections to the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate and for the amendment and completion of Law no. 67/2004 for the election of local public administration authorities, of Law no. 215/2001 on the local public administration and of Law no. 393/2004 on the Statute of local elected officials, and for the amended and supplemented, Government Emergency Ordinances no. 1/2007, 8/2007, 9/2007, 20/2008, 32/2008, 36/2008, 97/2008, 11/2009, 55/2009 and 95/2009. Mission The Permanent Electoral Authority is oriented towards:

  • providing and constantly improving the legal and organizational framework of elections and any further consultations at national or local level, and also the legal framework regarding the financing of political parties, in accordance with the international law instruments, the acquis communautaire and the constitutional provisions;
  • ensuring the unitary implementation, throughout the country, of the specific legal provisions in the field of elections and in the field of political parties financing activity and controls the attributions and duties fulfillment, assigned to other public administration authorities with responsibilities in the field;
  • educating voters and other participants in elections;
  • external representation of the Romanian state as its main image as regards the degree of Romania democratization, measured through the way of exercising the voting rights, the equal opportunities in political competition and the transparency in funding the political parties activity and electoral campaigns.

Objectives

  • Free and regular electoral processes, proper, efficient and transparent use of human, financial and economic resources;
  • Proper and transparent financing of political parties activity and electoral campaigns;
  • Integrated electoral management.

Functions Permanent Electoral Authority, along with other state structures with electoral functions, supports the organization and conduct of elections, provides the necessary logistics conditions, monitor the uniform implementation of the electoral law, according to the Regulation on organization and functioning of the Permanent Electoral Authority, the following functions:

  • the strategy function, establishes the objectives in the field of its activity;
  • the regulatory function, ensures the elaboration and submission for approval of the necessary legal framework in order to accomplish the strategic electoral objectives, as well as the elaboration and approval of  regulations and technical requirements that are mandatory for other public authorities with electoral responsibilities;
  • the management function ensures the organization and coordination of the activities and the necessary resources for the electoral processes unfolding;
  • the state authority function throughout the authority monitors and ensures the uniform implementation throughout the country of the specific electoral regulations  and as well of those established for upgrading and connecting them to the electoral systems of European Union countries;
  • the control function ensures the observance with the law and the penalties provided by law, if necessary;
  • the information function ensures the transmission of accurate information as regards the electoral processes to the voters, authorities and public bodies and political parties;
  • the education function ensures the voters education and it encourages the exercise of voting rights;
  • the training function ensures the transmission of professionals skills to the persons involved in organization and conduct of electoral processes;
  • the representation function ensures the internal and international representation of Romanian state in electoral matters;

Attributions: Between two electoral periods, Permanent Electoral Authority has the following main activities:

  • unitary application of legal provisions in its activity field;
  • development and endorsing of regulations drafts in its activity field;
  • development and implementation of strategies, programmes and projects in its activity field;
  • organization and coordination of activities and necessary resources for the electoral processes development;
  • electoral register administration;
  • polling station register administration;
  • updating the delimitation of uninominal colleges for the elections to the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate;
  • controlling and monitoring the fulfillment of tasks assigned to the public administration authorities and other bodies in preparation and organization of electoral processes;
  • allocation of state budget subsidy to the political parties;
  • control of financing political parties;
  • control of financing electoral campaigns;
  • accreditation of electoral observers and mass-media representatives, who want to observe the elections;
  • information of the Parliament on its activity, on the organization and conduct manner of elections and also on other electoral aspects;
  • information, education and training of the participants in the electoral processes.