Marinela Koleva: More people in Krakow eager to vote than in the first round

“There are many people who want to vote. I would say there are more voters than last time, even though the weather is quite changeable today, with occasional rain. Voter turnout has been steady since 7 a.m, and quite a lot of people are eager to cast their ballots”, Marinela Koleva, speaking from Poland, told Radio Bulgaria.

On this festive day for all Bulgarians, November 1, she is serving on the electoral commission at one of the two polling stations open in the country. The National Awakeners' Day is a strong source of motivation for our compatriots. However, November 1 is also one of Poland’s most important religious and family holidays - All Saints’ Day, when people commemorate their deceased loved ones, Marinela explains.

She predicts that Bulgarians permanently residing in Krakow will exercise their right to vote in the afternoon, due to the numerous activities and events associated with the holiday. She personally hopes to see higher voter turnout not only in today's presidential runoff but also in future elections:

“People should go out and vote. They should feel motivated to do so, not out of a sense of obligation, but because they want to, because they want their voices to be heard, whatever their choice may be. I hope that in five years’ time, when we go to the polls again, voter turnout will be twice as high. I hope we will have succeeded in motivating even those who currently see no point in going to the polls to cast their vote.”

As for today's vote, she has one particular hope: that Bulgaria's head of state will be someone who truly represents the nation: “When you see the head of state, you should be able to say with pride: ‘This is the President of the Republic of Bulgaria!’ I chose this person to represent me, and I am happy with my choice.”

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov