Voting

Election day abroad has begun. At exactly 10:00 p.m. Bulgarian time - 7:00 a.m. local time, the polling stations in Auckland and Christchurch in New Zealand opened their doors to Bulgarian citizens who wish to vote in the National Assembly elections, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on its website. These are the first two overseas sections where election day has started.

For the fifth time in two years, Bulgarians are called to the polling stations to vote for a National Assembly, which, after a series of unsuccessful attempts, will finally produce a regular government and put an end to the political crisis in the country.

A law passed by the previous leftist-led government giving the vote to people whose 17th birthday falls within the calendar year of an election, a year earlier than previously, means that people as young as 16 years and 5 months will be eligible to cast ballots. It also means a larger than usual cohort of new voters.

A total of 60,904,499 people will be able to vote at 190,736 ballot boxes in the country for the presidential and 28th term parliamentary elections slated for May 14.

The Supreme Election Board (YSK) announced the number of voters who will cast their votes abroad and in Türkiye in the Official Gazette on March 24.

Elections under the new rules can be held as early as April 2. This was announced by the Chairwoman of the CEC, Kamelia Neikova, during a hearing in the National Assembly in connection with the preparations for holding early parliamentary elections.

The reason is that at an earlier date the supply of the required quantity of secure paper for machine voting cannot be guaranteed:

The damage was done when, in order to serve unacknowledged expediencies, political parties rejected the simple solution of allowing the postal vote in the elections.

The criteria established for registered voters living abroad proved in practice that they discouraged the exercise of the right remotely.

Bulgaria's diplomatic missions abroad have already requested permission or notified 128 countries with which our country has diplomatic relations and has an accredited ambassador. To date, out of 61 countries in which the Central Election Commission (CEC) has designated polling places, Bulgaria has received permission from 42.

The government approved the cost plan for the expenses for the preparation and execution of the parliamentary elections on October 2, 2022. The approved funds are in the amount of BGN 70.5(EUR 35.7) million.

He won a vote of confidence but not from the “Five Star Movement” – “The relationship of trust that forms the basis of a government no longer exists”

Another early parliamentary election seems increasingly likely after the overthrow of Kiril Petkov's government, and the earliest realistic date for this is set for September 25, according to unofficial comments from the main parliamentary forces.