site.btaCentral Election Commission Provides Update on Voting Machines and Preparations for April 19 Snap General Elections

Deputy Chair and spokesperson of the Bulgarian Central Election Commission (CEC), Rositsa Mateva, told NOVA TV here on Saturday that around 100–150 voting machines require replacement parts, while approximately 1,000 machines are missing some accessories such as battery cables, power extensions, or side privacy screens. She emphasized that the machines are computers and function properly, and that warranty status does not affect their operation.

Bulgaria has a total of 12,837 voting machines, with 9,354 to be used domestically and about 120–150 abroad. The final number for overseas use will be determined after March 24, when applications for voting abroad close, and the CEC will coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 28 to finalize polling stations and machine allocation. 

Mateva noted that some countries in the Middle East, including Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon, are unlikely to have polling stations due to logistical reasons, although citizens can still submit applications to vote there. Approximately 16,000 applications for voting abroad had been submitted as of Friday.

For countries outside the EU, where Parliament limited polling stations to 20 per country, the CEC will provide maximum coverage at diplomatic and consular facilities, including honorary consulates where feasible. 

On March 12, the CEC announced that Ciela Norma won both lots of the public procurement for the voting machines for the April 19 elections. Mateva explained that negotiations lowered the initially higher bid to an acceptable level, comparable to the 2024 elections adjusted for 2025 inflation. Ciela Norma is the sole bidder. The election budget does not include costs for printing paper ballots or ballot counting by Information Services, which are covered separately by a Council of Ministers’ decree.

Mateva also reminded political coalitions that March 13 was the deadline to submit requests to change candidate lists or coalition names. Registration of candidate lists continues in district election commissions until March 17, after which the CEC will have the full overview.

Additionally, municipal mayors must complete consultations for the composition of precinct election commissions, and the draw to assign ballot numbers is scheduled for March 18. The CEC has finalized the sizes of voting screens and approved technical documentation, with provincial governors tasked with ordering and distributing them.