There will be no polling stations in Israel and Lebanon for the upcoming elections because of the tense situation in the Middle East. Tsvetozar Tomov from the CEC announced this at a briefing, quoted by BNT.
719 sections in 57 countries will be opened for voting. A total of 30,689 voting applications were submitted by Bulgarians abroad - fewer than in previous elections. The main reasons are twofold - declining overall voter turnout, as well as the fact that in many places precincts cannot be opened because no more than 100 people have applied to vote.
Bulgarian citizens abroad who have missed the deadline to submit an application have the opportunity to vote by submitting a declaration that they have not voted and will not vote elsewhere, Tsvetozar Tomov recalled. He urged people from outside the country to submit applications in any future campaigns, because it facilitates the work of the CEC.
The commission has no problems with the implementation of the schedule and the preparations for the elections are proceeding according to schedule, Tomov also said. However, he commented that the parties should decide among themselves how the composition of the SIK will be formed:
"At consultations there are always arguments. Until now, agreements have always been reached to determine the composition of the SIK. The situation with internal conflicts is well known, usually these consultations last 12 hours. It is still too early to say whether the colleagues are reaching an understanding.
The deadline for applications to vote at the current address is October 12. This is also when the deadlines for mobile ballot box applications expire. The CEC has adopted a decision on the procedure for forming sections for people with difficulty in mobility, as well as in medical facilities, homes for the elderly.
The procedure for registering observers continues - the deadline is right before election day.