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© Velko Angelov
Bulgaria is facing important elections today in an unusual situation. The deputies of the 45th National Assembly will be elected for the first time in the conditions of a pandemic, in compliance with unprecedented precautionary measures during the vote against coronavirus infection, and in the forecast of sociologists that COVID-19 may be a key player, if fear of infection seriously affects participation and therefore results. It depends on the vote if the ruling party will continue to dominate the government after more than ten years, or if there will be a change in the political model.
For the fifth time, voting in elections in Bulgaria is mandatory, but there is no penalty for not voting. Once again, it is possible to vote by preference, marking a preferred candidate, which allows reordering the lists of candidates, although the displacement of leaders is practically impossible. The threshold of validity of preferences is 7%, that is. the list will change if a candidate has won the support of more than 7 percent of those who voted for the party and the nominating coalition.
For the first time in the parliamentary elections, the number of parties, coalitions and initiative committees on the ballot will be from 1 to 100, and the candidates, from 101 onwards. The goal is to avoid preferences under the calls. Phenomenon 15/15, when the number of the political formation coincides with the number of the candidate.
In addition, for the first time, there will be an opportunity for automatic voting in all sections with more than 300 voters nationwide: 9,398 out of 11,983 sections. Voters can decide whether to vote with a paper ballot or with a device.
The exact number of eligible voters has not been announced, but according to preliminary data for February there are 6,732,316, the candidates for deputies are 6,895, nominated by 30 parties or coalitions. The elections will be monitored by 28 organizations that have registered 3,401 observers. There are five accredited sociological agencies: “Alpha Research”, “Gallup International”, “Market Links”, “Trend”, “Owl 5”.
Voting begins at 7:00 a.m. and ends at 8:00 p.m. Election day can be extended at the discretion of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) if there are those who wish to vote in front of the voting tables at 8 pm, but for a maximum of one hour, until 9 pm. The first results of the exit polls of the sociological agencies are expected at 8:00 p.m., and the official results and the number of mandates for each training, for April 8.
What are the anti-epidemic measures
Due to the extraordinary epidemic situation on Election Day, several basic rules should be observed: in the sections wear protective masks that cover the nose and mouth, all in the sections and in front of them at a distance of 1.5 meters, regularly disinfected and touched frequently. surfaces., windows must be open or rooms must be ventilated every hour, the entrance to the dark room must be close to the wall to avoid touching the curtains by voters.
During the vote, to establish their identity, the voter shows their identity card and places it on the table in front of the members of the sectional electoral commission (PEC), and the members verify the data without touching it. . “In order to be identified, the voter will be instructed to remove the protective mask for a short time, maintaining a distance of at least 1.5 meters from the members of the sectional electoral commission. After identification, the voter correctly dons the mask, covering his nose and mouth, “he said. The instructions of the Ministry of Health.
Another important guideline is “to the extent possible, the pens that voters will use to sign should be arranged so that the voter can pick them up himself, without having direct contact with the members of the sectional electoral commission, under their supervision and guidance. After use, the pen used is disinfected. ” The voter can also use their own pen, written in blue.
© Velko Angelov
A sanitizer will be placed next to the devices in the voting sections of the machine and used by the voter before voting. It is also recommended to provide separate entry and exit corridors at polling stations whenever possible.
Some of those infected with coronavirus and quarantined due to contact with patients or returning from abroad will be able to vote with a mobile ballot box if they request it before March 31. Those infected from April 1 to today, as well as isolated people who are at an address other than their current address, will not be able to vote.
How to vote with the ballot
Each ballot for the parliamentary elections is printed on opaque white paper. On the back there is space for two stamps of the sectional electoral commission. In its lower right corner there is an eight-digit number, which a member of the PEC separates along a perforated line after the vote.
On the left side of the ballot are the names of all the parties and coalitions that have registered candidates for deputies, as well as the names of the independent candidates; and to the right there are circles to mark the preference, in which there are numbers from 101 onwards, that is to say. for the candidates on the respective lists. There is also the possibility of “I do not support anyone”.
Voting is only in the dark room. The vote is not displayed because otherwise the vote will not be valid and will not be counted. Therefore, care must be taken when folding the ballot and placing it in the transparent ballot box.
On the day of the election, the voter must appear before the sectional electoral commission at a permanent or current address, if he has previously expressed such a desire. Students and full-time education students can vote in an elective section of the locality where they study, if it is different from their permanent address.
The voter must identify himself to a member of the commission with his identity card, even if it expired on March 13, 2020. After entering the data of the voter card in the list, he receives the ballot, which is separated from the head respective and is placed on its back.A seal of the PEC. It is a violation if the commission members have broken the ballots in advance for convenience.
After taking the ballot, the voter enters the voting booth. Mark the vote for a party, coalition or independent candidate by placing an “X” or “V” in the box with the number of your chosen political party, an independent candidate or the option “I do not support anyone.” Marking with these characters is only valid if it is in blue pen.
How to mark preference
If desired, the voter can also indicate a preference, ie. vote for a certain candidate for deputy from the list of preferred political formation; it is necessary to know exactly which number on the list is your favorite (you can also check it in the published lists in front of the sections) and put “X” or “V” in the respective circle. The preference is valid if it is marked in a single circle with the corresponding sign. If no preference is indicated, the vote counts for the leader of the list.
The ballot is folded so that the mark is not visible. It is recommended to fold it twice, leaving the place for the seals at the top, where to put a second at the outlet.
If the voter makes a mistake while voting, they return the wrong folded ballot to the PEC and receive a new one for the same type of election. This right is granted only once.
The voter leaves the voting booth, hands the folded ballot with his vote to a member of the PEC and makes sure that the number on it corresponds to the number on the header from which he separated. If so, the number is separated and placed in a box, and a second stamp is placed on the ballot. The voter then places it in the transparent ballot box. Only then does the voter sign the electoral roll.
How to vote with a machine
Instructions for voting with the devices will be posted at the section entrances on Election Day, which is optional and takes a few minutes. There will be machines in 9398 sections with 300 and more voters.
© Georgi Kozhukharov
Exercising the right to vote is like operating an ATM, and the device has limiters so that the election is not visible. The voter receives a card that they can only use once. After placing it, a preview of the paper bulletin is loaded on the screen of the machine, which must be flipped three times on one page, there will be up to 12 parties and coalitions. Marking is done by touching the screen. It is possible to notice a preference, since the names of the candidates for deputies are written on the screen of the machine.
Once the voter has made their choice, they press a button to confirm their vote. The machine automatically issues a receipt indicating the choice that has been made. It must be folded in half and placed in an opaque ballot box, which collects votes only by automatic voting. The voter must then remove the card and return it to the committee.
Elections are forbidden
Preliminary distribution of electoral documents and materials.
The removal of ballot boxes, voter lists, and ballots from the voting station.
Voting outside the voting table, except in the case of voting with a mobile ballot box.
The presence in the voting booth of people other than the voter, except in cases where it is allowed to vote with an escort.
The presence of other people outside the voters who are currently voting within 3 meters of the voting booth when there is a voter in it.
Capture the way you vote with mobile phones, cameras, or other playback equipment. The fine for this is 1,000 BGN.
Unfold the ballot after filling it in and before placing it in the ballot box so that you can see the way to vote.
Entering the electoral college with weapons and / or objects dangerous to the life and health of citizens.
Carry out actions in front of and in the electoral college that violate morality and public order.
