A total of 6,590,000 people are entitled to vote in the presidential and vice-presidential elections on October 25. Of these, 46,001 young Bulgarians have reached the age of majority after the previous presidential elections and will be able to participate in a presidential vote for the first time. This was announced by Central Election Commission spokesperson Stoyanka Balova-Tsvetkova at a briefing dedicated to the preparations for election day, quoted by Nova TV.
Four days before the vote, the organization is entering its final phase. Machine voting will be available in 9,373 polling stations in the country, with two devices installed in 2,249 of them. The total number of machines that will be used on Sunday is 11,622.
The delivery of election papers, paper ballots and specialized paper for the machines to the regional administrations has already begun. The materials will be stored under increased security until election day.
The CEC specified that the sections with one machine will receive two rolls of paper, and those with two devices will have a total of five rolls.
The deadline for corrections in the voter lists expires on October 23
Citizens who find gaps or inaccuracies in the voter lists can submit an application for their removal by Friday, October 23.
The commission also paid special attention to the organization of voting for people with visual impairments and mobility difficulties.
For the presidential elections, 1,500 tactile templates for independent voting with a paper ballot will be provided. They must be printed by October 23 and delivered to the district election commissions, which together with the municipal administrations will organize their distribution.
The special templates are intended for people with visual impairments. They cover the entire ballot and have slots corresponding to the places for marking the choice. The numbers of the voting participants are indicated in Braille, as well as the option “I do not support anyone“. If necessary, members of the section commissions will provide assistance by informing voters about the possibility of exercising their right to vote independently using the template.
District election commissions and municipalities must announce in which sections these aids will be provided.
For people with mobility difficulties, there will be suitable premises, preferably located on the first floors of the buildings. The CEC emphasized that voters with visual impairments or mobility difficulties can choose a section suitable for them, and the assessment of its accessibility is theirs.
CEC Announces Presidential Election Deadlines: When Does the Campaign End and When Will the Results Be Clear
The Central Election Commission will announce the results of the presidential elections within 48 hours after the end of election day. If no candidate pair receives the necessary support to win in the first round, a runoff will be scheduled between the two candidates with the most votes. This was announced by the commission's spokesperson Stoyanka Balova-Tsvetkova.
According to her, the election campaign ends at midnight on October 23. On October 24, which is the day of reflection, the publication of results of sociological surveys related to the elections will not be allowed.
Until 5 p.m. on October 24, parties, coalitions and initiative committees can submit applications for registration of advocates. For sections in the country, documents are accepted by the regional election commissions, and for those abroad - by the CEC. The commission also continues the registration of observers from non-governmental organizations.
On Saturday, the section election commissions will receive voting machines, ballot papers and other necessary materials.
Voting on Sunday will begin at 7:00 a.m. and will usually end at 8:00 p.m. If there are still voters waiting to exercise their right to vote in front of the polling stations, their work may be extended, but not later than 21:00.
The same rules will apply to polling stations abroad, with the hours determined according to local time. After the end of voting, the polling stations will count the votes, prepare the protocols and submit them to the relevant regional election commissions.
The commissions abroad will send scanned copies of the signed protocols and the voter lists to the CEC. By October 27, the regional election commissions must provide the scanned protocols with the results, which will be published on the CEC website.
Within the same 48-hour period, the commission must announce the results of the presidential vote and the names of the elected president and vice president, if there is a winner in the first round. If no candidate pair is elected, the CEC will determine the two pairs with the highest score, who will participate in the second round in accordance with the Constitution.
How will people with disabilities vote
The CEC recalled that voters with visual impairments will be able to use special tactile templates for independent voting with a paper ballot. For people whose health condition does not allow them to perform the necessary actions themselves, the possibility of voting with a companion is provided, including when using a machine.
The companion is indicated by the voter himself, and permission is given by the chairman of the section commission. One person is not allowed to accompany more than two voters. Members of the sectional commissions, advocates, observers and representatives of parties, coalitions or initiative committees cannot perform this function.
The CEC explicitly emphasized that illiteracy is not a reason for voting with an escort.
Special sections in hospitals, social homes, prisons and on ships
The Commission has also determined the rules for opening polling stations in medical institutions, homes for the elderly, specialized social institutions, places of deprivation of liberty and detention, as well as on vessels flying the Bulgarian flag.
Such sections can be formed if there are at least 10 voters who have expressed a desire to vote. The heads of the relevant institutions and the captains of the ships must provide the necessary information by 17:00 on October 22, in order to avoid duplication of voters in the lists.
People who entered these establishments or boarded a ship after the lists were prepared will be able to be added to the list on election day. For this purpose, they must present an identity document and sign a declaration that they have not voted and will not vote elsewhere. The same opportunity is also provided for employees engaged in official duties in these institutions, subject to compliance with the legal conditions.
Bulgarians abroad will be able to be added to the lists
The CEC has already adopted the methodological instructions for the work of the section commissions outside the country, both in the case of machine and paper voting. Bulgarian citizens with voting rights who are not included in the preliminary lists abroad will be able to be added on the spot.
They must present the necessary identity document and fill out a declaration that they have not exercised and will not exercise their right to vote in another section.
Training for members of the section election commissions and demonstrations of machine voting are already taking place throughout the country. They are expected to be completed by mid-week. The CEC expressed hope that there will be no mass replacements of already trained members.
New functionality shows the sections and video surveillance
During the briefing, the application “Elections 360 degrees“ was also presented, which will provide information about the polling stations and the results of the vote.
Through an interactive map, citizens will be able to view the sections in the country, and subsequently those abroad. For each section, its number, address, number of voters and summarized election results will be available.
The possibility of accessing the video surveillance files after the election process is completed is also provided. Voters will be able to check where they should vote by entering their personal identification number, first name and security code. The system also now reflects applications submitted on time for voting at the current address, the CEC specified.
Partial local elections: Runoffs in three villages on October 25
The CEC spokesperson also presented the results of the organization of the partial local elections, held on Sunday in 14 settlements in the country.
A second round will be held in three villages - Yavorovo, Rudnik and Malorad - on October 25, simultaneously with the presidential elections. In Malorad, machine voting will also be provided, while in the remaining two settlements, the vote will be held only with paper ballots.
The CEC specified that the two types of elections will be organized completely separately. Different section election commissions, located in separate premises, will operate for the presidential vote and the local runoffs, in order to avoid mixing the election procedures.