Forty-seven people are registered at the same permanent address in the electoral rolls in Yambol. The address is a home at 51 Chaya Street, identified during an inspection of the rolls at Petar Beron School during the presidential runoff on November 1.
According to a bTV report, this is not an isolated case. The electoral rolls also contain other addresses where more than 20 people are registered, and in some places their number exceeds 30. It has not been established how many of those listed at 51 Chaya Street actually live there.
Five families in one home
One of the voters, identified as Mitko, says that the people registered at the address do in fact live there. “We are five families. Two small rooms each—where else can we live?” says Elena Petrova.
According to Mitko, he himself voted but is not among the 47 people listed at the address. Other residents also confirm that many people live at the property. They claim that the houses have documents, although some of the buildings have not been legalized.
What the REC and GRAO say
The Yambol Regional Election Commission states that the electoral rolls are maintained by the municipality’s Civil Registration and Administrative Services Department.
GRAO explains that numerous illegal extensions have been built onto one legal structure on Chaya Street. Since 2011, the owner’s consent has been required for permanent registration at a given address. According to the municipal department’s explanation, it is possible that the people at the address were registered before this requirement was introduced.
The report does not indicate that the exact number of people who actually live at the address has been established, nor does it announce any subsequent procedure in the case. The data show a discrepancy between the number of registered voters and the capacity of the home, but in themselves they do not prove an electoral violation.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg