No serious activity is observed in the so-called vote buying. However, preventive actions continue in order to ensure the maximum right of Bulgarian citizens to vote fairly and freely. This was announced by the Ministry of Interior on its website. The department also added the following:
Work is underway to secure the known contingent, for whom there is evidence of having engaged in crimes against the political rights of citizens in previous elections.
In parallel, specialized police operations are also being conducted to combat domestic crime, as well as to reduce road injuries. So far, 151 specialized police operations have been conducted.
Citizens can file reports of violations or crimes related to the electoral process by calling 02/90 112 98 and emailing [email protected] throughout the campaign. Each report is forwarded to the competent structure for verification.
In the period until October 19, 2026, the structures of the Ministry of Interior received 64 reports of violations of electoral legislation and the political rights of citizens. Of these, 59 are for vote buying, 1 for illegal campaigning and 4 for other violations related to the electoral process.
5 criminal proceedings have been initiated, 3 of which are under Art. 167-169 g of the Criminal Code.
Since September 28, according to an approved plan, the SDVR and the regional directorates have been conducting specialized police actions throughout the country against crimes related to the political rights of citizens, violation of electoral legislation, establishing, preventing and revealing prepared or committed criminal activity under Art. 167 - 169 g of the Criminal Code. They also include teams from the General Directorate of the Gendarmerie, Special Operations and Combating Terrorism. As of October 19, 151 operations have been conducted and 625 warning protocols have been drawn up under Art. 65 of the Law on the Interior Ministry.
The Ministry of Interior has an operational headquarters that coordinates the preparation of the ministry's structures for the presidential and vice-presidential elections. The main tasks are to counteract crimes against the political rights of citizens, maintain public order and ensure fire safety.
The work is carried out according to a specific plan and in constant coordination with the Central Election Commission, the Prosecutor's Office, the National Agency for National Security and National Defense and other competent institutions. Information groups have been formed in the main and regional directorates of the Ministry of Interior to summarize data related to the election process.