General rule and exceptions
Foreigners generally cannot vote in Romania, but there is an important exception: Citizens of other European Union countries who live in Romania are allowed to vote in local elections and elections for the European Parliament.
To do so, they must have legal residence in Romania, usually proven with a valid residence card or registration certificate issued by the Romanian authorities. They also need to be registered on the electoral roll in the locality where they live and can only vote in that municipality or county.
This right does not extend to national elections or referendums, which remain reserved for Romanian citizens only.
Can one vote even if he/she is not registered on the official voter database?
This situation can happen, and it is allowed under Romanian electoral rules. Even if an EU citizen with legal residence in Romania does not find their CNP listed on the official voter database at https://www.registrulelectoral.ro, they may still be able to vote in local or European Parliament elections by going directly to the polling station (secția de votare) assigned to their address. If they present a valid residence card or registration certificate showing their legal residence in that locality, the electoral officials can verify their identity and residence on the spot and allow them to vote, usually by adding them to a supplementary voter list. This is meant to ensure that eligible EU residents are not prevented from voting because of administrative or database issues, as long as they meet the legal requirements.