Electronic voting

As Bulgaria gears up for the upcoming elections on June 9, the government has approved a comprehensive plan-account detailing the financial allocation for the electoral process. With a staggering budget of over BGN 98 million, the plan encompasses various crucial activities essential for the smooth conduct of both national and European Parliament elections.

The Court of Appeals found itself in a deadlock on March 26 as five rounds of voting have failed to produce a clear winner in the critical election to determine its new head.

The decision to postpone the election came after a two-day voting process, where neither of the five candidates managed to secure an absolute majority.

More than 8,000 Greek citizens living abroad have registered on the platform for postal voting within the first two days of its operation, while there is also great interest from domestic voters.

Registration for the June 9 European Parliament elections must be completed 40 days in advance, by April 29, 2024. 

Interior Minister Niki Kerameus introduced an amendment to the postal voting bill in parliament on Monday proposing the adoption of postal voting for Greeks living abroad in both European and national elections.  

The announcement was made during the parliamentary debate on the legislation related to postal voting in European elections and referenda. 

With the countdown to the submission of the government's bill on same-sex marriage having already begun, Kathimerini understands that of ruling New Democracy's 158 lawmakers, 94 are already moving toward voting in favor, 22 against, while nine expect that they will abstain.

Greek diaspora representatives have requested the expansion of postal voting rights for national elections, while speaking in a parliamentary committee.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Thursday that Greeks living abroad who are enrolled in the voting registry in Greece, will be able to vote by mail.

In the decisive runoff for Sofia's mayoral seat, the battle wasn't just between candidates Vasil Terziev and Vanya Grigorova; it extended to the method voters preferred - traditional ballots or electronic machines. A noteworthy 291,000 voters embraced the efficiency of technology, opting for machine voting, while 146,000 adhered to the familiarity of paper ballots.

Estonia is set to introduce mobile phone applications for citizens to cast their votes in elections, a move expected to be operational by the European Parliament elections in June 2024.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov Votes by Machine, Acknowledges Voting Issues and Promises Restoration of Trust