The repeat vote to elect six representatives of the judges to the new Supreme Judicial Council has begun. The runoff became necessary after none of the 21 candidates secured more than half of the votes in the first round.
Voting began at 8:00 a.m. On November 7, 1,870 of the 2,275 judges eligible to vote cast their ballots. Thus, around 400 judges did not take part in the election, bTV reported. According to Supreme Judicial Council data, 1,870 people voted, while the list includes 2,275 judges.
The first six candidates with the most votes
In the repeat vote, each elected candidate is not required to secure more than half of the votes. If the required majority is not reached again, the six candidates with the highest results will be considered elected.
This rule is laid down in the Judiciary Act and means that the ranking of the candidates will be decisive for the composition of the judges’ quota. The final results are expected to be announced after 11:00 p.m.
„This is important for strengthening judicial self-governance, for the legitimacy of the electoral process and for the support you are giving to the new members of the Supreme Judicial Council from among the judges,“ said the chair of the Election Commission, Biser Troyanov.According to him, Election Day on November 7 passed calmly, without any significant violations of the electoral rules. The process is being conducted for the professional quota of judges in the new SJC.
Prosecutors and investigators also face elections
The formation of the new SJC will continue with the election of representatives of the investigators, which is scheduled to take place in two weeks. Prosecutors have already elected their representatives.
Parliament is also in the process of filling its quota. The National Assembly has already heard the candidates, with each of them required to receive at least 160 votes to be elected as a member of the SJC.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg, dnes.bg, segabg.com