Infograph: the villages with no votes from young people

A closer look at these communities reveals deep depopulation and a chronic absence of young people choosing to settle there. Almost half of young people aged 18–24 participated in the presidential elections held in May 2025. The number of individuals in this age group has decreased by nearly one million, from 2.6 million in 2000 to about 1.6 million in 2025. A community contributor, Mihai Costache, analysed the statistical data published by the Romanian Electoral Authority and identified several polling stations where not a single vote was cast by people in certain age categories. Most notably, in 1,278 polling stations, no 18-year-old voter was present.

In almost half of these (472 polling stations), no one aged 18 or 19 participated in the vote. Most of these localities are in rural areas, although a few are located in urban settings.

The data also show that in 23 polling stations, no young person aged 18–24 cast a vote – 22 in rural areas and 1 in an urban area.

Costache further identified three polling stations – in three different villages – where no one aged 18–29 voted. All are in rural areas:

In Mureș County (Central Romania): the village of Pipea, Nadeș commune.

In Sălaj County (north-western Romania): the village of Ugruțiu, Dragu commune.

In Timiș County (Western Romania): the village of Rădmănești, Bara commune.

Although a few hundred or even 1,000 polling stations might seem negligible compared to the total of 19,000 across Romania, this phenomenon highlights the depopulation of certain regions and the invisible political engagement of young people in some areas.