The Head of State Iliyana Yotova returned for new discussion in the National Assembly provisions of the Law on Amendments to the Electoral Code adopted on February 5, 2026. She expressed disagreement with the changes that limit the number of sections that can be opened in countries outside the European Union. The President points out that wherever they are, the citizens of Bulgaria have all the rights and obligations under the Constitution and the state is obliged to ensure equality in the exercise of the right to vote, the press center of the Presidency reports.
According to the adopted texts, an upper limit of 20 sections is introduced, which can be formed outside the territory of the diplomatic and consular representation, regardless of the number of applications submitted. “The changes adopted in this way put at risk the principle of universality of the right to vote proclaimed in Art. 10 of the Constitution“, the President writes in his motivations. She cites a decision of the Constitutional Court, according to which “the state is obliged to ensure conditions for the free and unhindered exercise of the right to vote by every Bulgarian citizen […] The constitutional guarantee of the irrevocability of the right to vote excludes the possibility […] of creating procedural obstacles by law that would make its exercise difficult or impossible“.
In his reasons, the head of state indicated that the changes deliberately create barriers to the exercise of the right to vote by Bulgarian voters outside the European Union - the difficulties may be related to the remoteness of the polling station, the large number of citizens who have expressed a desire to vote, and the number of those who can actually exercise this right on election day. Thus, these Bulgarian citizens will be hindered or prevented from fulfilling the principle of compulsory voting, enshrined in the Electoral Code, Yotova stated.
According to the President, the proposed changes also violate the principle of equality, enshrined in the Constitution. The Head of State points out that the different legal regime for the establishment of polling stations implies a difference in the opportunities of Bulgarian citizens to exercise their right to vote and places Bulgarians living outside the European Union in a less favorable position. “The Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria does not provide for such unequal treatment of Bulgarian citizens living abroad“,“, the President recalled in his reasons.
“Instead of the electoral right of Bulgarian citizens being a path for the inclusion of all Bulgarian citizens in the political governance of the country, artificially and unjustifiably barriers are being created to the exercise of their fundamental constitutional right“, Iliana Yotova pointed out.
In his reasons, the Head of State also emphasized the danger that the changes to the Electoral Code could further shake public trust in the integrity of the electoral process. “The changes are also in contrast to the desire for optimal efforts to increase voter turnout, repeatedly stated by representatives of state institutions, politicians, non-governmental organizations, and citizens,“, the President pointed out.