The Central Election Commission on March 26 holds its regular briefing on preparations for the upcoming vote in April, presenting sample versions of both the paper and electronic ballots.
Preparations for the election are proceeding normally, commission’s spokesperson, Rositsa Mateva, said. A total of 60,904 applications to vote abroad have been submitted, with the deadline for submission closing on 24 March.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) is holding meetings with District Election Commissions to coordinate the electoral process and the training sessions that need to be carried out. A mobile application is also being developed, allowing electronic protocols to be downloaded.
The process of certifying the compliance of voting machines and their software for the upcoming elections is currently under way. Seven representatives of political parties, coalitions, and non-governmental organisations have been registered with the CEC to observe this process.
In addition, 12 Bulgarian non-governmental organisations have been registered to participate in the elections with observers, alongside two international organisations.
Of all candidates registered to stand for Parliament, 19 hold dual citizenship, eight of whom are women.
Bulgarian citizens can vote either at their permanent address or at their current address, provided they have submitted the required application, Rositsa Mateva added. However, those staying at a sanatorium or on holiday in another locality will not be able to vote.
Mateva also presented the samples of the ballot paper and the electronic ballot to be used for voting both within Bulgaria and abroad.
Voters shoud mark their choice in the box corresponding to the number of the party or coalition using a blue pen, placing an “X” or a “V” within the box.
Voting with machines will be carried out in the same way as in previous elections.
Mateva also demonstrated how the voting with machines will take place.
The ballot consists of two pages. Voters insert their card, cast their vote, and verify it on the machine before submitting. They then press the “Vote” button and, after the audible signal, retrieve the printed machine ballot. The voter checks the ballot, folds it, and hands it to the election commission to receive a single stamp before placing it in the ballot box.
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