Don’t all rush: 69 foreigners applied to vote in Bulgaria’s European Parliament elections
A total of 69 citizens of other European Union countries have applied to vote in Bulgaria’s May 25 2014 European Parliament elections, a mere fraction of EU citizens living in the country and a minuscule fraction of Bulgaria’s estimated 6.9 million eligible voters.
EU law allows EU citizens resident in another member state to vote there, with certain details of eligibility left up to member states themselves.
In Bulgaria, a deadline of April 14 was set for citizens of other EU states to lodge applications at the municipalities where they live, to vote in the choice of Bulgaria’s 17 MEPs. Also eligible are those who have voted at least once in a previous European Parliament election in Bulgaria.
Non-Bulgarian EU citizens who have not applied to vote or have not voted in a previous EP election in the country will not be allowed to cast a ballot on May 25.
Among those who opted to vote in Bulgaria’s European Parliament elections is Keneward Hill, who moved to Bulgaria close to 30 years ago but still has UK citizenship.
“I still have ties to England, I visit my mother, brother and friends. But my life is now more closely connected to Bulgaria,” television station bTV quoted him as saying.
(Photo: Phillip Bramble/sxc.hu)
