Bulgaria allocates 117 million euros for presidential elections

Bulgaria has allocated 117 million euros for the upcoming presidential elections. According to Iva Lazarova, chair of the Public Council to the Central Election Commission, the budget is higher than in previous presidential elections. This increase is attributed to the likelihood of a two-round voting process, potential simultaneous partial elections in various locations, and rising costs for logistics, transport, and fuel.

A significant portion of the budget, approximately 40%, is traditionally designated for remunerating members of section and district election commissions, with increases expected compared to previous cycles.

Technical preparations focus heavily on machine voting. Approximately 10 million euros are earmarked for the full diagnostic, repair, and certification of voting machines, including screens and printers. Additionally, changes to voting abroad have been implemented to remove previous restrictions on the number of polling stations, which is expected to facilitate access for Bulgarian citizens in countries such as Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.