Our compatriots abroad will vote in 784 sections - 69% more than in April 2021
21 June 2021 News
The elections abroad on July 11, 2021 will be unprecedented in the number of polling stations abroad - 784 in 68 countries, and in some places around the world our compatriots will have the opportunity to vote for the first time.
This is shown by data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which were disseminated to the media today by Ivan Kondov, the Permanent Secretary and Chairperson of the Working Group "Elections" with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Kalin Anastasov, the Deputy Chairperson of the WG "Elections".
"We are extremely committed and grateful to our Bulgarian communities abroad, because without them it will be almost impossible to organise such a huge number of sections and such a large-scale of voting around the world," said Ivan Kondov, Chairperson of the Working Group “Elections”.
The sections in which our compatriots will vote abroad in the elections on July 11, 2021 are 69% more than in the elections for the National Assembly in April 2021, when 464 sections were opened. In the parliamentary elections in 2017 and 2014, 371 and 426 polling stations were opened, respectively.
In the elections of July 11, 2021, 674 sections will be opened outside the diplomatic and consular missions, and 110 sections will be located on the territory of our missions.
8 polling stations will be formed in countries where Republic of Bulgaria has no diplomatic and consular missions - Iceland and the Dominican Republic with 1 section each, Luxembourg, Malta and New Zealand - 2 sections each.
For the first time, our compatriots will be able to vote in the Dominican Republic and on some Greek islands - Thassos, Limnos, Lefkada and in the Greek resort settlement of Nea Peramos. For the first time, sections will be opened in Albania and Japan outside the Bulgarian diplomatic and consular missions.
In the countries with large Bulgarian communities, the number of sections shall be as follows:
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - 135 sections (286% increase compared to April 2021)
- Germany - 117 sections (70% increase compared to April 2021)
- Turkey - 112 sections (220% increase compared to April 2021)
- USA - 58 sections (66% increase compared to April 2021)
- Spain - 67 sections (26% increase compared to April 2021)
- Greece - 32 sections (60% increase compared to April 2021)
In Europe, the number of sections marks an absolute record - 483 sections in 22 countries. On the territory of Asia, Australia and Oceania, our compatriots will be able to vote in a total of 7 countries in 16 sections, in the Middle East and Africa 16 sections have been opened in 13 countries, in North and South America - 80 sections in 7 countries.
"465 hours or 19 days remain until the start of the election day in New Zealand, where the vote begins at the earliest, so the 'time' challenge is extremely important to us. We are convinced, based on the experience we have and the help we receive, that we will be able to suceed“, said the Deputy Chairperson of the WG "Elections" Kalin Anastasov.
65,334 Bulgarian citizens will be included in the voter lists for voting abroad in the countries where polling stations will be opened. Kalin Anastasov reminded that Bulgarian citizens who are not on these lists, as well as all others who have not submitted applications, will have the right to vote by submitting a declaration on the spot on the election day.
The exact addresses of the sections and the lists of those wishing to vote abroad can be found on the official website of the Ministry and the relevant diplomatic and consular missions at:
https://mfa.bg/bg/3714 - Lists for voting outside the country
https://mfa.bg/bg/3715 - Orders for formation of polling stations outside the country
Their publication is already underway.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actively preparing to send the ballot papers, and tomorrow the Ministry will accept 710,000 ballots. It was emphasised that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is ready to assist the CEC in the logistics of delivering machines to each section, but the Central Election Commission has not yet determined the places where voting will take place with machines, nor the number of machine devices. It became clear at the briefing that in order to ensure the unhindered delivery of the machines according to the specifics in some countries, it is necessary to make a decision as soon as possible.
About 4200 proposals have been submitted by our foreign missions for the number of CEC members. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will have to send more than 400 people to participate in the work of the commissions. "We will count on 5,800 Bulgarian citizens who will voluntarily participate in the process of organising and conducting the election day," said Kalin Anastasov.
The Chairperson of the GW "Elections" Ivan Kondov reminded that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not appoint or determine the members of the section election commissions abroad, but only makes proposals. "I would like to draw attention again to the issue of appointing SEC members abroad. In consultations at CEC, political parties appoint their representatives to the SECs abroad. If the parties do not make proposals for all places, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives proposals for filling the SECs panels by representatives of our communities abroad,” said Ivan Kondov.
The heads of the WG "Elections" with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked the Bulgarian communities abroad, the employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as other Bulgarian institutions, actively involved in providing their employees or technical means to organise the unprecedented vote that awaits us.