Reform Party faction chair Õnne Pillak said that the delay has several practical reasons.

On one hand, not all Riigikogu members who have expressed support for Madise have been able to sign her submission yet, Pillak said, noting that Isamaa was the last party to give its approval for Madise's candidacy.

On the other hand, Pillak said a few additional bureaucratic steps still need to be completed to submit the documents correctly.

According to the Election Service, submitting a candidate requires delivering a proposal to the National Electoral Committee that includes the candidate's first and last name, year, month, and day of birth, the names and signatures of those submitting the candidate, and the date the proposal was prepared.

The proposal must include the presidential candidate's handwritten consent to run and confirmation that the candidate meets the legal requirements. It must also include documents proving that the candidate is an Estonian citizen by birth.

Representatives from all four factions that have expressed support for Madise — the Reform Party, Estonia 200, the Social Democratic Party, and Isamaa — as well as independent MPs who support her, are expected to take part in submitting her candidacy.

Registration of candidates for the election of the president began Friday at 9 a.m., and candidates can be submitted for the first round of voting until Monday, August 24, at 6 p.m.

The right to nominate a candidate belongs to at least one‑fifth of the Riigikogu, or 21 members. Each member of the Riigikogu may nominate only one candidate.

The National Electoral Committee will meet on Tuesday, August 25, at 3 p.m. to register the candidates.

The Riigikogu's extraordinary session to elect the president will take place on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, beginning at noon.

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