Bulgaria presidential runoff faces voting machine and power issues

Bulgarian presidential election Central Election Commission voting machines election logistics runoff election

The presidential runoff election in Bulgaria has encountered several technical and logistical challenges. The Central Election Commission (CEC) reported that voting machines failed to arrive on time for sections in Tenerife, Montreal 1, and Atlanta. In Tenerife and Montreal 1, voting has transitioned entirely to paper ballots, while efforts continue to secure ballots for Atlanta.

Domestically, power outages have forced several sections to switch to paper voting, including locations in Silistra, Malo Konare, and Dobrovnitsa in the Pazardzhik region. In the Kardzhali region, specifically in the villages of Most and Chereshnitsa, machines are operating on battery power due to electricity failures.

The CEC has issued new instructions to voters and election commissions to prevent errors seen in the first round. Voters are urged not to remove their cards or pull the receipt before the machine provides an audible signal, as premature removal can result in the vote not being recorded.

Additionally, significant personnel changes occurred within election commissions, with nearly 60 members replaced in Sofia's 24th district. The CEC expects the final runoff results to be announced by Wednesday at the latest.

Entities

Alina Dobreva · Atlanta · Bulgaria · Central Election Commission · Da, Bulgaria · Dimitar Dachev · Ivaylo Mirchev · Ministry of Interior · Sofia · Stoyanka Balova · Tenerife · Tsvetanka Balova

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Some voting stations lacked privacy screens due to missing clips for attachment. www.standartnews.com
[● 3 SOURCES] A total of 31 voting machines experienced technical problems during the first round of voting. www.standartnews.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Voters are advised not to pull out the control receipt before the machine's audible signal to ensure the vote is recorded. www.standartnews.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The Central Election Commission issued new instructions to municipalities and regional commissions before the November 1 runoff. www.standartnews.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Voting machine protocols in 14 sections across four regions reported fewer votes than the number of signatures in voter lists.
[● 3 SOURCES] Technical issues included broken displays and burnt motherboards. www.standartnews.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The discrepancies were found in the regions of Haskovo, Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, and Vidin.
[● 3 SOURCES] Over 12,000 polling stations in Bulgaria are prepared for the runoff.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Paper ballot delivery issues are occurring in Adelaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne. bgvoice.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Polling stations will be under police protection until 7:00 AM on election day.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Voting machines will not arrive in time for sections in Tenerife and Montreal 1. bgvoice.com
[● 8 SOURCES] If a machine problem cannot be resolved, voting will continue with paper ballots. bgvoice.com · trafficnews.bg · pleven.info · petel.bg · e-79.com · +3 more