The Electoral Code Working Group is dissolved, the governing departments leave the « abroad » district
The working group that discussed the ideas of another reshaping of the Electoral Code is dissolving and today was its last meeting. During the debate, it became clear that the government has reached a consensus for a new deposition of the « abroad » region, and the scanning machines, which are an old idea of the MRF, will replace the current voting machines.
The work on the election rules will be started, and from the words of the chairman of the parliamentary legal committee Anna Alexandrova (GERB), it has been understood that the aim is to proceed with the vote of the ideas at second reading in a committee. There is a convened meeting of the line legal committee this week, but the bill for amendments to the Electoral Code is not part of its agenda. This means that viewing the texts will begin either in the week after the holidays, or after the Easter vacation of MPs, which continues until the end of April.
New Reduction Rules: Old Problems, New Ideas and Dispute Decisions
Abroad district remains in the future
« Unjustified, inappropriate and will not produce the desired effect » – with these words, Prof. Emilia Drumev suggested that the establishment of the « abroad » region be postponed. She said there are examples from national parliaments of other countries where there are reserved places for people abroad. There are no such places in the Bulgarian legislative body.
The bill of « There is such a people » suggests that the establishment of the « abroad » region be postponed by a year and a half – until June 1, 2026, and only a few years ago the formation of TV presenter Slavi Trifonov was among the drivers of the idea of its creation.
| The area was created From the 45th National Assembly with the votes of « There is such a people », « Democratic Bulgaria » and « Stand. BG! We come! ». However, GERB managed to delay its introduction until the results of the last national census were released, and thus in November 2022, its creation was postponed to January 1, 2025. By virtue of the law, such an area exists, but only in theory, as the provision remained a hollow and so the voices of the Bulgarians living abroad were re -distributed between the countryside |
Experts propose, power is hesitant: there is still no solution to remove « dead souls »
Today, once again, the chairman of the election committee Kamelia Neykova said that the « abroad » region cannot be created because of the requirement for a minimum number of mandates. She added that the Central Election Commission (CEC) has requested data on the number of Bulgarian citizens with a current address abroad, but the Civil Registration and Administrative Services Directorate (GRAO) cannot establish it.
| Art. 250 para. 2 states that the number of mandates in a multi-mandate electoral region may not be less than 4. |
Election expert Stoil Stoilov spoke in support of the area, who stated that it was necessary to equalize the rights of Bulgarians abroad and those in the country. He gave an example of the preferential vote that people who vote abroad do not have the right. The expert suggested a « abroad » district to give fixed number of mandates – two or threeto be removed from the mandates that give the regions in the country. According to him, an active registration should be introduced, which will easily specify the number of Bulgarians abroad.
Mikhail Konstantinov added that the introduction of the « abroad » region will remove « cheap mandates » in electoral areas with few voters.
Stoicho Stoychev also supported the creation of the « abroad » region by suggested the mandates for him to come from the largest three constituencies in the countryS According to him, one can also think of some type of differentiation of voters outside the country to make it clear whose votes determine a mandate.
Scanning machines and paper newsletters
Without surprises, the debate once again came to the traditional dispute, with some experts supporting paper voting and scanning machines and others recovering the machine voting. Representatives of the ruling majority did not take the floor, but it is clear from the proposals that consensus has been reached for scanning devices.
We at the ruling majority do not want to drop the paper.
Anna Alexandrovathe first meeting of the Working Group, March 18, 2025
« The sharp introduction of a new election technology is problematic, » said a representative from the honest election (eyes).
Rositsa Mateva suggested that both the paper and the machines and the software be made part of the objects for critical information connectivity, and Stoicho Stoychev continued her thesis, adding that the machines could be stored in army sites. The chairman of the election committee stated that it could not be a state warehouse for their storage, and over the years only the Ministry of Defense offered a property – one dilapidated, and one in Ihtiman, and they did not meet the requirements.
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Hristo Rastashki from the sword said that « paper newsletters are hindering the election process, » he said his group would insist on the restoration of the machine voting in the form of 2021 – with a machine protocol. However, it became clear from him that other formations would not give up on paper voting. According to him, a compromise is to think of mixed voting, but machine reading the results.
This is a way to clear the election process and bring confidence in it.
Hristo Rastashki. A sword MP
