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The right of Romanian citizens to vote enshrined in the Constitution
is a most important electoral right.
An analysis of the polling right in the Romanian constitutional
system must begin with pointing out its characteristics as mentioned
in the fundamental law: the right to vote is universal, equal, direct,
secret and freely expressed. (Art.59 (1) and Art.81 (1)).
Universal suffrage appeared for the first time in Romania in 1918.
Until then the right to vote was dependent on your level of wealth.
This was the result of the "Convention of Paris" which
was drawn up by the big European powers. It established a Constitution
for Romanians in the period 1858-1864. (At that time Romania did
not yet include Transylvania).
The first national Constitution in 1866 divided voters into 4 colleges
depending on wealth:
- 1st college - landlords with a minimum income of 300 coins
- 2nd college - landlords whose income was between 100 and 300
coins
- 3rd college - the merchants, industrial owners, teachers and
the state retired.
- 4th college - peasants and workers who paid taxes.
The illiterate, who were the majority of population, could only
vote for parliamentary deputies indirectly: 50 voters would nominate
a delegate and all the delegates of a county would elect a deputy
for the 4th college. This electoral college system was naturally
unequal in its effects : the first 3 colleges were far less numerous
than the 4th but would elect the most deputies.
The royal decree of December 15th 1918 established universal suffrage
for the first time in Romania and this was strengthened by the Constitution
in 1923. However, young people under 21 years old, women, officers
and magistrates still were not allowed to participate.
The Constitution in 1938, elaborated in the conditions of the authoritarian
monarchy of King Charles II, raised the age limit to 30 years for
electing deputies and to 40 years for electing senators.
All these restrictions, which limited the universal character of
vote, were eliminated for the first time in 1946. So the vote was
truly universal at that time. Even so, it must be said that the
right to vote was only formally democratic. This was because all
candidates were nominated by the Communist Party and the voters
had no choice but to elect them. In other words, the democratic
rights of the people, were just formal under the communist regime.
Democracy was not real in such conditions.
Today, the situation in Romania is that a person may vote if he
or she:
- is a Romanian citizen
- is a minimum of 18 years old
- is not classified as debarred by mental illness
- has the moral aptitude to vote (ie. they have not lost their
electoral right due to a judge's decision)
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