Bulgaria’s Parliament approves changes to election law
Bulgaria’s National Assembly voted on July 30 to approve the second and final reading of amendments to the Electoral Code.
The amendments make it mandatory to use a machine to vote at polling stations that have at least 300 registered voters.
Voting may go over to using paper ballots in the event of device failure.
Voting using a paper ballot would be done only at polling stations with less than 300 registered voters, and certain special polling stations, such as mobile stations and those at medical institutions and nursing homes.
Parliament voted in favour of equipping voting machines to enable the visually impaired to use them, though for technical reasons, MPs voted to introduce this only after a year.
Voting machines will no longer print out ballots, but control receipts made of special paper.
At the end of election day, the results of the sections will be reported through protocols printed by the devices, reflecting the data in their electronic memories. A control count of the receipts will also be carried out.
Parliament voted to abolish the multi-member Abroad constituency, which was allocated four seats in previous amendments to the Electoral Code, approved in February 2026.
In another step abolishing previous amendments, Parliament scrapped the limit of no more than 20 polling stations in places outside Bulgarian diplomatic and consular missions in countries that are not members of the European Union.
The amendments require polling agencies registered with the Central Electoral Commission to formally declare to the commission that they will not disclose or provide data on the Day of Contemplation (the day before election day) or before 8pm on election day, to parties, coalitions and the media.
The amendments were approved on the eve of the National Assembly voting itself a three-week summer recess, and three months before scheduled regular presidential elections.
Ruling party Progressive Bulgaria has hinted that after the autumn presidential elections, it will table further amendments to the Electoral Code.
(Photo: parliament.bg)
