Polling stations in Australia report higher voter turnout

Voting for Bulgarians in Australia is drawing to a close. On the Day of the National Awakeners, they were able to cast their ballots at six polling stations across the continent, in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide. The first ballot was cast at 7:26 a.m. local time at the polling station in Brisbane. Our compatriots there marked the occasion with a social media post carrying the message: “Take responsibility for the future of our homeland. Be like Kolyo...!”

In Melbourne, the Bulgarian community was eagerly awaiting the arrival of 98-year-old Ivan, who just a week ago became the oldest person to cast a ballot at the polling station and an inspiration to dozens of Bulgarians. Election day passed peacefully and without any reported violations in Melbourne. The local election commission reported turnout nearly 25% higher than in the first round, with 90 people having cast their ballots two hours before polls closed.

''Several factors may explain this. First and foremost, perhaps, is the lovely weather, whereas last Sunday we had torrential rain. There is greater interest in the runoff. The first-round result was very close, so more people may have decided that their vote could make a difference. We should also bear in mind that there is greater polarization between the candidates here. The choice has come down to two candidates with clearly differing positions, which has motivated more people to take part in the election”.

Mancho Manev notes that the trend of more and more young people heading to the polls is becoming increasingly evident, with many voting willingly and enthusiastically

“Some young people come because their parents encourage them to, while others turn up on their own, which is wonderful. We are also looking forward to seeing the elderly gentleman, Ivan, again. He is 98 years old, and we hope he will come and exercise his right to vote. We have also noticed that quite a few older Bulgarians do not hesitate to come out and vote. They take their civic duty much more seriously than other age groups”, our compatriot says. 

And on this November 1, which is not only election day but also a holiday for Bulgarians, we also ask Manev who the modern-day enlighteners are for the Bulgarian community in Melbourne.

“Today’s enlighteners are local figures who preserve Bulgarian identity and keep our traditions alive here. We have an organisation dedicated to supporting the Bulgarian church in the city and its congregation. There are also various groups, including folk dance ensembles, that come together and take part in events across Australia. They have taken on the important task of keeping our Bulgarian heritage, traditions and language alive.”

One of these modern-day Bulgarian enlighteners is Vladimira Hristov, President of the Bulgarian Cultural and Social Association ‘Rodina’ Sydney. After spending eight years in the UK, Vladimira moved to Australia in 2013. Today, she says with a smile: “I truly adore Bulgaria, but I adore Australia, too.”

“I’ve often heard Bulgarians ask: ‘If you love Bulgaria so much, why do you live so far away from it?’ It’s difficult to explain, but Australia has many well-developed sectors, healthcare being one of them. And when you walk down the street, people smile at you and say hello. I’ve even said that if I smiled at a stranger or greeted someone so enthusiastically in Bulgaria, they might think there was something wrong with me. Yes, Australia is a wonderful place, and I would encourage everyone to come and visit the Bulgarian Cultural and Social Association ‘Rodina’ Sydney. We have a Bulgarian Sunday school named after Dr Petar Beron, organise weekly folk dance classes and put on performances. It’s truly wonderful. When you live so far away from home, you become even more connected to your roots, however hard that may be for some people to believe. We miss Bulgaria so much that we do everything we can to bring it closer to us – we make traditional Bulgarian costumes, organise celebrations, and all this brings our community closer together”, Vladimira Hristov tells Radio Bulgaria.

On this sunny Sunday in Sydney and rainy one in Sofia, the Bulgarian woman is chairing the election commission in Australia’s largest city. She says the voting process is proceeding smoothly, with no reported irregularities.

She attributes the high voter turnout to the fact that many Bulgarians living there had anticipated a runoff. “Distances here are enormous, and today we had someone who travelled 130 kilometres to vote, with the round trip taking five hours. So it is understandable that those who expected a second round may have found it more convenient to wait and cast their ballots in the runoff''.

Both on October 25 and today, Bulgarians in Sydney are voting for one thing:

“I believe we are all voting for a better Bulgaria for our families. Many of us dream of returning one day, even though, for one reason or another, we live 15,000 kilometres away in Australia. As for my own family, we visit Bulgaria every year, and we hope that one day our children might go and live there, and that we too will return''.

 A cleaner Sofia, a richer summer cultural programme, better job opportunities and higher wages are among the positive changes Vladimira Hristov sees in Bulgaria. Following today’s election, she hopes to see Bulgarians become even more united, convinced that this is the only way for the nation to build a better future.

The election day ended in Sydney with 162 ballots cast, while 99 Bulgarians turned out to vote in Melbourne to elect Bulgaria’s seventh president and vice president.

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov