Restrictto Candidacy:
Citizens over the age of 21 years, eligible to vote and not holding another citizenship have the right to stand as candidates. Individuals prohibited from being members of a political party (such as military, intelligence service and police personnel, diplomats, judges and prosecutors) may contest the elections as independent candidates. Restrictions on suffrage rights for candidates holding dual citizenship is at odds with the jurisprudence of the ECHR.
Campaign Length Average:
30
Opinion Polls Embargo:
Embargo on election day only
Electoral System & Organisation
Elect System Main Election:
Majority
Main Election Type:
Presidential
Main Election Cycle:
5
Numb Round Main Election:
Two
Referenda_Binding:
Wiki: Five nationwide referendums have been held in Bulgaria since it gained its De Facto independence in 1878
Voting Machine:
Other
Vote IDRequired:
ID check compulsory
Polling Card:
No polling card
National Holiday Elect Day:
Never
Dayof Election:
Sunday
Districting Source:
Government
Districting Flexibility:
The names, numbers and boundaries of electoral districts shall be determined by the President not later than 56 days before election day.
Frequency Districting Change:
5
Polling Station
Average Voterby Polling Station:
549
Minimum Ratio:
20
Maximum Ratio:
1000
Polling Station Numbers:
12500
Listof Polling Station Buildings:
public buildings, schools
Accessibility Requirement:
Article 10. (1) Where in a building with more than one storey there are polling stations on floors above ground level as well, the constituency or the municipal election commissions shall adopt a decision designating a polling station on the first floor (ground floor) which has the smallest number of voters according to electoral roll, for voting by voters with locomotor or sight impairment.
Ballot Box Transparency:
Transparent
Box Feeding System:
Voter
Tellersor Party Employees:
The Electoral Code provides for citizen, party and international election observation. While the Electoral Code provides for registration of observers until the day before the election day, the CEC established by a decision a deadline for submission of applications at three days before election day. According to 2016 amendments, only “organizations registered for the public interest and with objectives in the field of protection of citizen’s political rights” could nominate citizen observers. The amendments also stipulate that a person could participate in the elections in only one capacity (either as candidate, proxy, observer or election official). The CEC interpreted this limitation broadly and, as result, three citizen observer organizations were not registered. The CEC accredited 20 citizen observer organizations with 5,386 observers, 7 public opinion poll agencies and 5 international organizations. The Alliance Bulgaria to the Citizens was not registered as the CEC decision to approve the organization was not supported by a two-thirds majority; the de-facto rejection lacked legal grounds and published motivation. The GISDI conducted long-term observation and deployed some 900 short-term observers on election day. The DECs registered numerous proxies.
Count Locallyor Centrally:
locally
Manualor Automatic Count:
manual
Ballot Paper
Ballot Type:
Paper
Singleor Multi Paper Ballot:
Multiple
Ballot Paper Type Description:
Single ballot paper. Every voter has one vote to give to a party or to an independent candidate. In case the vote is given to a party, voters may mark one out of maximal 17 candidates from that party.
Ballot Paper Type Photo Upload:
YES
Orderof Candidatesor Parties:
Non Applicable
Remote Voting
Temporal Remote Voting:
No
Geographical Remote Voting:
No
Personal Remote Voting:
No
Mobile Polling Stations:
Yes
Special Needs
Provision First Time Voters:
2014 OSCE Report: The CEC conducted a voter education campaign, which included six different videos and seven radio clips broadcast in media and on the Internet. Printed material was limited to leaflets quoting extensive legal provisions. Overall voter education activities appeared insufficient, as they did not effectively explain the newly introduced rules regarding preference voting and the testing of new voting technologies (NVT). The CEC informed the OSCE/ODIHR LEOM that it had difficulties initiating voter education programmes due to its budget being approved only 60 days prior to the elections as well as the protracted procurement procedures.
Provision Illiterate Voters:
(5) Illiteracy shall be no grounds for voting with the assistance of an attendant.
Provision Linguistic Ethnic Minorites:
CEC voter education materials were exclusively in the Bulgarian language, contrary to international commitments and standards.
Provision Blind Voters:
Article 10. (1) Where in a building with more than one storey there are polling stations on floors above ground level as well, the constituency or the municipal election commissions shall adopt a decision designating a polling station on the first floor (ground floor) which has the smallest number of voters according to electoral roll, for voting by voters with locomotor or sight impairment.
Provision Motor Handicap Voters:
Article 10. (1) Where in a building with more than one storey there are polling stations on floors above ground level as well, the constituency or the municipal election commissions shall adopt a decision designating a polling station on the first floor (ground floor) which has the smallest number of voters according to electoral roll, for voting by voters with locomotor or sight impairment.
Targeted Initiatives
History Major Changes:
There was a period with a single party system between 1945 and 1989, during the People's Republic of Bulgaria, during which only candidates sanctioned by authorities could run.
Failed Experiments:
Planned to bring in voting machines for its 2017 election but dropped the idea after it became clear that the machines could not be supplied in time.