Low voter turnout was reported in Britain at the start of the vote for the president and vice president of Bulgaria. 82 polling stations have been opened in the country, and in London and areas with a large Bulgarian community, the usual queues are not observed.
Election day began at 7:00 GMT. Around 50 people voted in the four polling stations at the Bulgarian embassy in London during the first two hours. The picture is similar in Barking, where a compact Bulgarian community lives and where turnout is usually among the highest.
“In the many years I have been covering elections, this is the first time I have seen so few people“, said BNR correspondent in the UK, Vesselin Paunov.According to BNR, 27 voting machines have been provided in the UK. As of early afternoon, there were no reports of serious problems with them. Additional rooms have been opened at the embassy to facilitate the filling out of declarations before members of the sectional commissions.
Storm “Boelo“ complicates voting in the north
While the weather is calm in London and in the southern and eastern parts of the Island, storm “Boelo“ affected Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland. Strong wind warnings have been issued for parts of the north of the country, with gusts of up to 130 kilometres per hour expected in places.
Around 10 polling stations are located in areas expected to be among the hardest hit. In the north-west of England, more than 57,000 households were left without power, Sky News reported. Authorities have warned citizens to limit travel in dangerous weather conditions.
The Bulgarian embassy has set up an organization to continue voting even in the event of possible power outages. In Northern Ireland, the wind has already weakened, but in Scotland it remains strong.
More voters are expected in the afternoon
The low turnout is also due to the fact that some of the Bulgarians who usually vote in the UK are in Bulgaria for the school holidays. Another reason is that many compatriots work on Sundays and visit the polling stations later in the day.
According to observations by election commissions and correspondents on the ground, the flow of voters may increase in the afternoon. This also applies to the northern regions, if the weather improves. Election day in the UK lasts until 9:00 p.m. local time.
Sources: bnrnews.bg, nova.bg, news.sky.com