No presidential candidate received the required 10,000 signatures yesterday to enter the race for the head of state, set for April 24. After Maxim Dimitrievski (11,391), Bujar Osmani (11,067), and Arben Taravari (10,641) gathered the necessary signatures, the remaining candidates continue to vie for support. Biljana Vankovska Cvetkovska is the closest to the goal with 9,085 signatures, while the current mayor of Karposh, Stevco Jakimovski, is facing challenges and lacks just over 2,000 signatures at 7,994. Candidates from VMRO-DPMNE and SDSM, Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, and Stevo Pendarovski, have not yet initiated signature collection.

The signature collection process, which commenced on February 23, will continue every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on the last day, March 8, operations will extend until midnight. Signature collection points are established in all regional departments and offices of the SEC located in the headquarters of 34 local governments and in front of competent notaries.

When a group of voters submits a list of candidates for president, a minimum of 10,000 signatures is required from registered voters on the Electoral List. In the case of deputies submitting a list, a minimum of 30 signatures from deputies is necessary.

Participants in the elections must submit lists of candidates for the president of the state to the SEC no later than March 19 at midnight.

The deadline for collecting signatures applies to both the presidential and parliamentary elections. The presidential elections are scheduled for April 24, with the second round on May 8, coinciding with the parliamentary elections.