The nearly 19,000 polling stations set up nationwide in Romania opened on Sunday at 7:00 a.m., with almost 18 million voters expected to go to the polls to elect the president.

According to the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), the total number of voters registered in the permanent electoral lists is 17,988,031 citizens.

Across the country, 18,979 polling stations have been organised. In the capital, Bucharest, 1,289 stations are open.

In the diaspora, voting began on Friday at 965 polling stations.

For the May 4 election, voters can exercise their constitutional right at one of the following types of polling stations:

* If located in the administrative-territorial unit where they have their domicile or residence, they may vote only at the polling station assigned to the street or locality where they reside, according to the law. Voters with a domicile or residence in Bucharest may not vote in a different sector of the city, but they may vote in any polling station located in another county.

* If located in a different administrative-territorial unit than where they have their domicile or residence, they may vote at any polling station within that unit.

* If abroad, they may vote at any polling station organised abroad.

* If serving as a member of a polling station's electoral bureau, a computer operator, or are in charge of maintaining order, they vote at the station where they carry out their duties.

* If they have reduced mobility, they may vote at any station that provides access to the voting booths. According to AEP, 97.94% of polling stations meet the minimum criteria to ensure access for voters with reduced mobility.

Voters cast their ballots using an identification document issued by the Romanian state valid on the day of the vote, namely: identity card; electronic identity card; provisional identity card; identity bulletin; diplomatic passport; electronic diplomatic passport; service passport; electronic service passport; or military service licence (for students in military schools).

Regular passports, electronic regular passports, and temporary regular passports may only be used for voting by Romanian citizens voting abroad or Romanian citizens domiciled abroad who are voting in Romania.

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Voting ends at 9:00 p.m.

Voters who are at the polling station at 9:00 p.m., as well as those who are in line outside waiting to enter, may exercise their right to vote until no later than 11:59 p.m.

Voters vote individually in closed booths, stamping 'VOTED' inside the box corresponding to the candidate of their choice. After voting, the paper ballot must be placed into the ballot box. The stamp used for voting must be returned to the president of the electoral bureau or to designated members of the bureau.

Any attempt to vote multiple times or without the legal right to vote is punishable under criminal law. Taking photos or filming the ballot paper by any means is prohibited. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)