Only with CEC permission: rules for conducting opinion polls in the pre-election period

Public opinion polls on voters’ political preferences, conducted during the election period, must be authorized by the Central Electoral Commission (CEC). Thus, legal entities related to research and polls, as well as public associations registered in the Republic of Moldova, must submit an application to the Commission, which will contain:

1. name, contact details of the organization that ordered and financed the survey, as well as the name of the head of the organization;
2. extract from the State Register of Legal Entities, issued not more than three months before the application was submitted to the CEC, and (or) registration documents of the company involved in organizing and conducting the survey;
3. the full list of questions in the questionnaire. In case they are amended after the CEC decision on authorization to conduct the survey, the applicant submits their updated version before their use in the survey;
4. name, contact details, and legal form of the organization that will conduct the survey;
5. name and contact details of the representative of the organization responsible for conducting the survey;
6. data on the availability of technical and human resources, qualifications, and experience in conducting public opinion polls (including the number of trained interview operators, the number of previously conducted similar polls, and the number of years of activity in this field, etc.);
7. the exact period planned for the data collection or voter survey;
8. the planned date/period of release of the survey results;
9. a copy of the contract or agreement concluded between the subjects, indicating the amount to be paid/transferred for conducting and publishing the survey.

More details on the conditions for conducting public opinion polls can be found in the Regulation on Organizing and Conducting Public Opinion Polls and Exit Polls during the Election Period, approved by the CEC decision. nr.1138/2023(https://shorturl.at/ijDV2).

Applications for permission to conduct public opinion polls may be submitted no later than ten days before election day, in the case of this year’s general local elections, by October 25, 2023.

Only authorized opinion polls may be published under the provisions of the Election Code. Broadcasting and reporting the results of unauthorized opinion polls is punishable by law.