Voters chose a mayor who passed away due to COVID-19 just a week after the ballot.
Living Legend Departs: Small Town Mayor Elect Passes Away Unexpectedly
In the unexpected turn of events, Deveselu, Romania, bids farewell to its mayor-elect, Ion Aliman, who succumbed to COVID-19 just a week before the scheduled local elections, as reported by Almaty.tv, citing Euronews.
Aged 57, Aliman received an impressive 65.9% of the votes in the elections, with 1057 out of 1600 votes. He was a popular figure, seeking his third term from the Social Democratic Party. Although Aliman passed away before the election, local authorities were unable to reprint the ballots in time. Aliman's supporters paid their respects at his grave, honoring their newly elected mayor and celebrating his election victory.
A local reporter shared with Euronews that Aliman had deep roots among the townspeople, and his victory served not only as a poignant expression of grief but also a political statement to his opponents. The local election officials will appoint his deputy as the acting mayor and hold a new election in due course.
Aliman had contracted COVID-19 on September 4 and fought valiantly for 13 days until his hospitalization in Bucharest ultimately led to his demise.
Romania's local government elections took place in advance of the December general elections. Previously, it was reported that over 50,000 flags were erected in tribute to COVID-19 victims.
While elections unfolding posthumously due to a candidate's death are not unheard of in political history, the specific circumstances surrounding COVID-19 generally do not dramatically alter the processes for such situations. Regardless, each country's legal framework dictates how such instances should be handled. Votes for the deceased candidate are often not included in the final tally, but specific guidelines may vary. The election usually proceeds as scheduled, and the candidate's death can influence the election results significantly, especially if they were a leading contender.
As a reminder, if a candidate dies after the election, their party may have the legal option to replace them, subject to the local election laws. The process for filling the vacancy and policy impact often depend on local laws.
The COVID-19 pandemic has showcased the significance of preparedness and contingency planning in election administration. Despite not fundamentally altering the procedures for handling deceased candidates, the pandemic has accentuated the need for agile approaches to election management due to logistical challenges such as increased absentee voting and social distancing measures.
- Despite the unfortunate demise of Ion Aliman, the local Romanian elections continued as scheduled, with his deputy being appointed as the acting mayor.
- Ion Aliman, the popular Social Democratic Party candidate from Deveselu, received a majority of votes in the local elections, 65.9%, before succumbing to coronavirus just a week before the scheduled vote.
- While posthumous elections are not rare in political history, the circumstances surrounding Aliman's death due to coronavirus may have influenced the election results significantly, as he was a leading contender.
- Voter turnout in Romania's local elections was influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 50,000 flags being erected in tribute to the victims of the virus.
