| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Parlamentul României / Parliament of Romania |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name (generic / translated) |
Camera Deputatilor / Chamber of Deputies |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
Senatul / Senate
|
| LEGAL FRAMEWORK |
| Electoral Law |
15 July 1992
Last updated on 13 March 2008 (Law no. 35/2008) |
| Mode of designation |
directly elected 315
other 97 |
| Constituencies |
315 single-member constituencies; there is one Deputy for every 70,000 inhabitants. |
| Voting system |
Mixed:
Mixed system (mixed member proportional MMP)
Each voter votes for a candidate.
Majority system: Candidates who obtain over 50 per cent of the votes are elected.
Proportional system:
Votes for unelected candidates are tallied nationally. The remaining seats are distributed among political parties in proportion of their share of the vote. Seats are distributed firstly at the county level and then at the national level. In case the party is entitled to more seats than the number of remaining seats in the same county, the number of seats in the given county will increase (Article 47 (15) of the Electoral law), thereby creating "overhang seats".
The threshold to win parliamentary representation is 5 per cent for political parties contesting on their own. Parties which did not surpass the threshold may still obtain parliamentary representation if they win at least six constituencies in the elections to the Chamber of Deputies or three in the elections to the Senate.
The threshold for political alliance varies from eight to ten per cent depending on the number of parties comprised in the alliance: 8 per cent for political alliances of two parties, 9 per cent for alliances of three parties, and 10 per cent for alliances of four parties or more.
Reserved seats for ethnic minorities:
The organisations of citizens belonging to a national minority, which are legally established and do not win parliamentary representation in either chamber, are entitled to one seat each in the Chamber of Deputies on the condition that the organization obtains at least 10% of the average number of valid votes casted for an elected Deputy. There is no upper limit on the number of seats reserved for minority organizations.
Vacancies arising between general elections are filled by unsuccessful candidates declared substitutes on the corresponding party list. By elections can be held in exceptional situations.
Voting is not compulsory. |
| Voter requirements |
- age: 18 years
- Romanian citizenship
- disqualifications: mentally deficient or alienated persons laid under interdiction and those disenfranchised pursuant to final court decision |
| CANDIDATES |
| Eligibility |
Qualified electors
- age: 23 years
- Romanian citizenship
- residence in Romania |
| Incompatibilities |
- public officers (except members of the Government)
- prefects, sub-prefects, heads of public services and other governmental authorities of territorial administrative units (in constituencies where exercising functions)
- judges of the Constitutional Court
- advocates of the people
- magistrates
- members of the armed forces on active duty
- policemen
- other categories of civil servants established by organic law, who may not join political parties. |
| Candidacy requirements |
- candidatures proposed on separate list submitted only by legally constituted parties and other political bodies
- support by at least 0.5% of the voters from constituency concerned for independent candidates
- nominations must be submitted no later than 30 days prior to the polling.
|
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Electoral system module
