Bulgaria’s October 27 2024 elections: The Sofia Globe’s factfile
September 27 marks the official campaign period ahead of Bulgaria’s October 27 2024 early National Assembly elections, in which 240 MPs are to be elected.
This is The Sofia Globe’s factfile.
The October 27 early parliamentary elections are Bulgaria’s seventh elections of a National Assembly since 2021.
In these early National Assembly elections, the second in 2024, a total of 22 parties and nine coalitions are standing.
To be eligible for election, a candidate must be a Bulgarian citizen, over the age of 21, and not serving a prison sentence.
The official election campaign period continues until midnight on October 25.
The Dossier Commission is obliged by law to check whether a candidate worked for Bulgaria’s communist-era secret services State Security and the Bulgarian People’s Army military intelligence, and must announce the names before election day. However, having worked for those bodies is not a bar to standing for or holding public office.
October 26 is a “Day of Contemplation” on which canvassing is forbidden.
Voting hours on October 27 will be from 7am to 8pm. By law, electoral commission officials may extend voting by up to an hour to admit those in the queue to vote. Where voting is being held abroad, voting ends at 8pm local time.
To win seats in the National Assembly, a party or coalition must get at least four per cent of valid votes cast.
Voters may use preferential voting to move a candidate up the list.
Voters have the option to choose “I don’t support anyone”. Such votes are counted in when calculating turnout, but have no impact on the distribution of seats in the National Assembly.
During the official campaign period, media publishing the results of opinion polls are required by law to include information, as provided by the polling agency, on items such as the methodology and sample size of the poll and how the poll was funded.
Coverage of the elections on public media is governed by law and by agreements between the heads of the public media and the parties and coalitions, as approved by the CEC.
Campaign materials, whether in print, on air or on billboards, are required by law to include the words “buying and selling of votes is a crime”.
Canvassing may be conducted solely in the Bulgarian language.
While electoral law governs media coverage, it is does not affect content on social networks such as Facebook, which are not defined in Bulgarian law as media providers.
During the campaign period, election materials may not include the coat or arms or the flag of Bulgaria or a foreign country, nor religious signs or images. Election advertising may not depict children.
Electoral law forbids the distribution of anonymous campaign materials and those that denigrate the “good morals, honour and dignity” of candidates.
Campaigning in state and municipal institutions and companies, as well as the use of state or municipal property by parties, coalitions, independent candidates and initiative committees, is prohibited.
On election weekend, municipalities have the right to ban or restrict the sale of alcohol. There are 265 municipalities in Bulgaria, so such decrees – if issued – have to be checked individually. Any such ban also applies to foreigners ineligible to vote.
Reporting of exit polls while voting is proceeding is illegal in Bulgaria. However, many, including several media, tend to skirt this by posting exit poll results on social networks. From 8pm, exit poll results may be announced.
The Central Electoral Commission has until October 31 to announce the distribution of seats among parties and coalitions.
An MP elected from more than one electoral district must declare from which one that MP will be deemed to have been elected. There is a deadline of November 1 to do so.
The Commission has until November 3 to announce the names of those elected as MPs.
According to Article 75 of the Bulgarian constitution, a newly-elected National Assembly shall be convened for a first session by the President of the Republic within a month following its election. Should the President fail to do so, it shall be convened by one-fifth of the members of the National Assembly.
The first sitting is presided over by the oldest MP, pending the election of a Speaker.
(Illustration: Interior Ministry)
Please support The Sofia Globe’s independent journalism by becoming a subscriber to our page on Patreon:
