A total of 85 polling stations will be open for Bulgarian citizens in Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg in the presidential elections. In Spain, there are 67 polling stations, and in Belgium and Luxembourg - 18. The Central Election Commission has determined the places for voting outside the country for the presidential and vice-presidential elections on October 25, 2026.
In Spain, nearly 2,000 people have submitted preliminary applications to vote. In Barcelona, three polling stations will be opened instead of two, as was the case in the parliamentary elections in April. Seven more polling stations will operate in the remaining towns in Catalonia and Aragon.
There will be a total of four voting machines in the two polling stations, which will be located in the building of the Consulate General of Bulgaria in Barcelona. Nearly 500 preliminary applications for voting have been submitted in the polling stations in Catalonia and Aragon. The increase in the number of polling stations in Barcelona aims to limit the formation of queues.
How voters in Spain will vote
Bulgarian citizens who are not previously listed in a selected polling station abroad will be able to vote after completing a declaration before a member of the polling station commission. In it, they must state that they meet the conditions for voting, have not exercised their right to vote and will not vote elsewhere.
The polling stations in Spain will open at 7:00 local time and will operate until 20:00. If there are voters waiting after this hour, the election day may be extended until 9:00 p.m.
One less polling station in Belgium
16 polling stations will be opened in Belgium, and two in Luxembourg. This is one less polling station for Belgium compared to the parliamentary elections. The polling station in Maasmechelen will not operate due to the low turnout in recent years.
A total of 10 machines will be located at the polling stations in both countries. Hotlines are also provided in case of technical problems.
The polling stations in Belgium and Luxembourg will operate from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time. If there are queues at the end of the election day, their work may be extended by another hour. Voters who are not included in advance on the lists will have to submit and sign their declarations before the members of the section committees.
Sources: bnrnews.bg