With the 2022 changes to the Electoral Code, the way votes are counted has changed – a ballot is printed, and all ballots are counted by the CEC. Nothing that the code obliges us, the data from the flash drive is extracted from “Information Service“ and are published at the location of each SIC, but this is not an election result. The electoral commission does not deal with flash cards, it counts the printed ballots. This was stated by the Deputy Chairman of the CEC, Rositsa Mateva, on bTV.
She also commented on the case with the seized flash drives, which the CEC wants back from the Administrative Court in Sofia.
„Machines without flash memory don't work. We need them to prepare the 2 in 1 elections. we have not purchased any other flash drives than the ones purchased in 2021 with the delivery of the machines. They are not disposable. It is expensive to buy new, they are not special and they are bought from a special place. Given that the data from these fake memories has now been extracted by the experts, it can be returned to us and used in the upcoming elections. "We still don't have an answer from the court," she explained.
„Indeed, in local elections, there is a tendency to have many invalid paper ballots, and only when voting for municipal councilors. We assume that the voter votes only for preference, and fails to mark the party and the coalition. In elections for the National Assembly, there are not so many invalid ballots”, Mateva added.
She further specified: “We have approved both the slogan and the logo for the elections. Explainer videos are ready.“
„For European elections, the entry rate is higher than national elections. It is important that voters know what the residency requirement means – this means they have a registered address. It is important to check the address registration.
Both votes will be voted on in Bulgaria and in all EU member states, as well as in the rest of the world in consulates and diplomatic missions,”, said the Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission.
For voters who do not have the right to vote in the European elections, she warned: “It should not be abused. There is currently no way to check whether the voter has the right to vote in both elections according to the rules. If voting is found to be in violation of the Election Code, we will refer the matter to the prosecutor's office.“
When asked how the voting will look, Mateva emphasized: “It shouldn't be more complicated. There will be two ballots, there will be two ballots on the machines screen as well. The paper difference will be on the back of the ballot – colors will be different. It is possible that it will be different in the elections for the National Assembly in different regions. In the elections for the European Parliament, the ballot will be equally long. There will be two electoral lists. The requirements for machine voting are to give the voter card, unlock both ballots.“
„I appeal to the voters: voting is a democratic right and it must be used”, she also said.