Following Bulgaria’s early parliamentary elections on April 19, the Foreign Minister reported that nearly 200,000 Bulgarian citizens voted abroad, including 53,000 who cast their ballots using machines. The minister noted that a significant portion of the electorate—156,000, or 81%—did not pre-register and applied to vote on Election Day, which contributed to procedural delays. The Foreign Ministry oversaw complex logistics across multiple countries.
The minister detailed instances where voting extended past the scheduled close, citing extended hours in five London sections, continued voting in Turkiye due to high queues, and similar extensions in Spain, Norway, and Serbia. The foreign ministry emphasized its adherence to the Electoral Code, which limits polling stations outside the European Union and outside diplomatic missions to twenty. To manage the process, the ministry conducted extensive consultations with Bulgarian communities abroad.
These efforts led to determining the optimal distribution of the twenty sections. Furthermore, diplomatic representatives proposed expanding the maximum number of sectional election commission members and increasing the overall number of permissible sections, limited only by the capacity of local buildings. The minister also addressed administrative procedures, confirming that applications for electronic voting from Bulgarians abroad were processed via the Central Election Commission (CEC) to expedite registration.
While most polling stations submitted their protocols to the CEC, one location in London reported technical issues that were being resolved. The foreign ministry confirmed that all measures were taken to ensure the highest level of organization for those who voted.
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High turnout abroad is notable, but the discrepancy between the voters and pre-registration numbers raises questions.