The elections for president and vice president of Bulgaria began with 27 candidate-presidential pairs and 6,590,000 adult citizens on the electoral lists. There are over 12,680 polling stations in the country and abroad, with 613 of them opened in 50 countries.
Election day in Bulgaria lasts from 7:00 to 20:00. If there are citizens waiting in front of the polling station, voting may be extended, but no later than 21:00. A valid ID card is required to vote, and an international passport is also allowed abroad.
New rules for machine voting
According to the rules introduced in August, voting is only possible by machine in polling stations with 300 or more voters. Paper ballots are used in mobile polling stations for people who cannot leave their homes, as well as in polling stations in nursing homes, social services, hospitals, prisons and places of detention.
The machine ballot is located on three consecutive screens. After printing the control receipt, one stamp is placed on it, while two are placed on the paper ballot.
Voting abroad has begun in China
Due to the time difference, election day for Bulgarians in China began earlier. Polling stations have been opened at the embassy in Beijing and at the Consulate General in Shanghai. Voting there is only possible with paper ballots until 8:00 p.m. local time, and in the event of waiting voters, the work of the polling stations may be extended by one hour.
In Italy, Bulgarians can vote in 29 polling stations, two more than in the last parliamentary vote. For the first time, there is a polling station in Palermo on the island of Sicily. Three polling stations have been opened at the Bulgarian school in Milan, two at the embassy in Rome, and a total of four in the regions of Lazio and Tuscany. 1,002 Bulgarians have previously submitted applications.
18 polling stations in France amid unrest
18 polling stations have been opened in France, three of which are at the embassy in Paris. Bulgarians will vote amid protests and unrest in several cities, including Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon and Marseille. Additional security has been provided in front of polling stations close to the areas of unrest.
“The level of violence is extremely high“, said French Interior Minister Laurent Nunes.Over 1,000 people have been arrested following the unrest, reports BNR. 678 Bulgarians have submitted preliminary applications to vote in France, while the rest can be added to the lists after submitting a declaration on the spot.
The Ministry of Interior has received 168 reports of violations during the election campaign. The reports of suspicions of vote-buying predominate. According to the department, eight proceedings have been initiated and 180 police operations have been carried out.
Sources: bnrnews.bg