Bulgarian Election Commission announces observers and voting updates

The Bulgarian Central Election Commission (CEC) has announced that one international and one domestic organization will observe the upcoming presidential elections. According to CEC spokesperson Stoyanka Balova-Tsvetkova, other civil organizations may register as observers until October 24.

Regarding voting logistics, over 6,700 applications for voting abroad have been confirmed, with the highest numbers coming from the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and Turkey. Electronic applications for overseas voting remain open until September 29. Voting sections abroad will be established where at least 40 applications are received, and machine voting is planned for sections with 300 or more voters.

The CEC is also addressing technical issues, noting that approximately 2,000 out of 12,800 voting machines are currently out of order due to printer, display, or mechanical defects. A repair contract valued at over 10 million levs is expected to be signed next week, with repairs targeted for completion by October 15 to allow for certification by the Ministry of Innovation and Digital Transformation.