During a briefing on Monday following Bulgaria’s early parliamentary elections on April 19, Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynsky reported that nearly 200,000 Bulgarian citizens voted abroad. She noted that of these voters, 156,000, representing 81%, filed applications to vote on Election Day, a factor that slowed the registration process. The Minister detailed various operational challenges across different countries.
She reported that voting extended past the scheduled end time in seven sections in Turkiye, and that five sections in London, along with single sections in Spain and Norway, and two in Serbia, required extended hours. Neynsky confirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs operates according to the Electoral Code, which restricts polling stations outside of European Union member states and diplomatic/consular missions. To manage logistics, the MFA conducted extensive consultations with Bulgarian communities abroad to determine the optimal placement of the twenty authorized sections.
Furthermore, diplomatic representatives requested the ability to open more sections and increase the maximum size of sectional election commissions to nine members. To expedite registration, electronic applications from Bulgarians abroad, whose local polling stations were not opened, were directed to designated centers. The Minister confirmed that all overseas polling stations submitted their protocols to the Central Election Commission (CEC), with the exception of one London station due to technical issues.
Ivan Naydenov, Permanent Secretary, added that while efforts were made to optimize polling station locations in Great Britain in consultation with residents, the Electoral Code limited extensions to one hour,
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