Suspicions of manipulated votes and abuse of elderly people from vulnerable groups during elections are being investigated, bTV reports. The focus falls on the Home for Adults with Dementia in the Montana village of Bistrilitsa, where dozens of patients were transported to the polls in an organized manner in previous election campaigns.
The scandal took on new dimensions after the parliamentary vote on Sunday (April 19, 2026), when none of the residents of the social institution appeared before the section commission. The reason is believed to be the increased police and media presence in the area.
An eyewitness's testimony on television reveals a disturbing practice in the voting of people from the social home in the village of Bistrilitsa. According to the witness, over the past few years, residents have been brought in by a service minibus in groups of 15 people.
"One holds everyone's ID cards. When they run out of those, they bring the rest", says a village resident. According to him, the elderly, many of whom have visible problems with communication and orientation, were constantly reminded of the polling station. It often happened that they themselves asked the members of the commission which box they should cross out, and a significant part of their ballots turned out to be invalid due to errors.
Official data from the Ministry of Interior confirm that in the parliamentary elections on October 27, 2024, 32 votes were cast for one specific political force in the same section by patients of the home. The suspicions are also reinforced by the fact that the current director of the institution is also the chairman of the Municipal Council in Berkovitsa from the quota of the same party.
The picture of the elections held this Sunday (April 19) turns out to be radically different. The television team followed the entire election day in front of the section in Bistrilica. At the end of the day, out of a total of 46 voters, not one was a user of the social service.
Local residents comment that the presence of the media and the activity of law enforcement agencies most likely prevented the usual scheme. "They most likely don't put them under guardianship on purpose because they can use them to vote", says a witness.
Relatives of patients with serious diagnoses also express their outrage at the possibility of abusing the condition of their relatives. Hrisimira, whose mother has late-stage Alzheimer's and was placed under full guardianship in 2020, says: "I was absolutely shocked. I thought that by placing my mother under guardianship, I was protecting her in some way. I was truly amazed that someone would allow themselves to abuse it."
According to data from the Central Election Commission (CEC), in the October 2024 elections, a total of six people in the country who were officially placed under guardianship managed to exercise their right to vote.
When asked for comment, the director of the social institution, Ivan Ivanov, refused to appear on camera, but sent a written position in which he categorically rejected the accusations of influencing the vote of the residents.
Ivan Ivanov: "When all users who have expressed interest in voting are questioned and their statements are taken like the biggest criminals by a team of police officers for half a day, which puts them under enormous psychological pressure and stress for voting incorrectly... it is normal for these elderly people to become demotivated, stressed and give up voting."
The case raises serious questions about both the moral side of organized voting in social institutions and the effectiveness of control over the electoral process for individuals who are unable to make informed decisions for themselves.