Bulgarians abroad oppose cut to polling stations outside EU

Bulgarians living abroad have spoken out against proposed changes to the country’s Election Code that would reduce the number of polling stations in countries outside the European Union. They have warned that this could severely disrupt voting and disenfranchise tens of thousands of citizens.

In a joint statement, election organisers and voters from Britain, the United States and Canada condemned amendments adopted by a parliamentary committee at second reading, stating that implementing them would lead to a “catastrophic deterioration” of the electoral process in the affected countries.

They noted that elections in these countries are largely organised by volunteers who are already under considerable pressure.

'In Britain, the country where the Bulgarian community would be most severely affected by the loss of polling stations, 112 polling stations were opened for the 2024 elections, and 118 for the 2025 elections,' the statement said. 'Under an electoral process that is entirely manual, it would be objectively impossible for election commissions to handle such a large number of voters.'

The authors of the statement said that it was 'clear to everyone' that the amendments, which formally target countries outside the EU, are actually aimed at restricting the voting rights of Bulgarian citizens in Turkey.

They described this as unacceptable and unprincipled, arguing that ethnic Bulgarians of Turkish origin abroad have been victims of state violence in the past and should not be wronged again.

'Unjustified and arbitrary restrictions on the right of Bulgarian citizens to vote anywhere in the world are neither reform nor progress, but a step backwards for our democracy,' the statement said.

Editor: Miglena Ivanova
Posted in English by E. Radkova