Bulgaria’s Central Election Commission started the procurement procedure for paper ballots for the upcoming elections

The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced a public tender to print about 14,200,000 paper ballots for the November 14th elections. They will be used if there is a problem with the voting machines and in polling stations with less than 300 voters. The maximum estimated cost for one paper ballot is approximately BGN 0.19 or a total of over BGN 2,600,000 without VAT. Further 7 million and 100,000 ballots will be printed for a possible second round of the presidential elections.

CEC announced today a new public tender for 1,600 additional voting machines for the elections.

"I hope this time to have a contractor who will deliver the additional number of machines, but even if that doesn't happen, I think that with the available number of machines CEC can provide machine voting," said Kamelia Neykova, CEC chairwoman.

In order to avoid mistakes with the voting numbers, there will be two separate draws, first the draw to determine the order of candidates on the ballot paper for the presidential elections will be held.

"Parties and coalitions that are registered for both types of elections receive the same number, ie if a party that is registered to run in the presidential and parliamentary elections participates in the draw for president and vice president and receives number 10, it will be No. 10 on the ballot paper for the parliamentary elections.as well. For those parties that are registered only for the parliamentary elections, a separate draw will be held and it will follow the numbers from the draw for the presidential vote.

The commission is of the opinion that the votes for both elections should be on one card.

"Moreover, we believe that if in those polling stations where there is more than one machine - if there are two cards, there would be confusion," said Kamelia Neykova, CEC chairwoman.

Work is already underway on the software of the machines.