Observer voting for the 52nd National Assembly has begun, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
Due to the nine-hour time difference, Bulgarian citizens in Auckland and Christchurch, New Zealand, are the first to exercise their right to vote. The polling stations there opened at 10:00 p.m. Bulgarian time. The latest time for voting in the stations in the American states of California, Arizona and Nevada will be at 6:00 a.m. Bulgarian time on Monday, April 20.
The total number of polling stations opened abroad is 493 in 55 countries.
The largest number of stations were opened in Germany - 70, Spain - 67, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - 28, Turkey – 27, Italy – 27, Greece – 26, USA – 25, Netherlands – 24, France – 19 and in Belgium, Austria and Canada – 17 each.
Machine voting is provided in 130 polling stations in 19 countries, and in the remaining stations outside the country the vote will be held with paper ballots. The election papers and materials, and the voting machines were delivered promptly to the stations abroad by air and ground transport according to the specific destinations.
Information on the addresses of the polling stations by country is published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the section “Elections 2026“ at: https://www.mfa.bg/bg/izbori-2026.
Bulgarian citizens who have not submitted an application for voting abroad may vote in a section, in a country and place of their choice. When voting, they submit to the SIC a declaration in a form that they meet the conditions to vote and that they have not voted and will not vote elsewhere.
The diplomatic and consular missions of Bulgaria are in constant contact with local authorities and are ready to assist in the event of difficulties on election day, in order to guarantee the right to vote of Bulgarian citizens.
The diplomatic service thanks the Bulgarian communities abroad for their active support and assistance in the preparation and organization of the vote abroad.