site.btaCentral Election Commission Has No Major Concerns Over Machine Voting, Spokesperson Says

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has no major concerns over machine voting, as machines have already been used in polling stations with more than 300 voters, CEC spokesperson Stoyanka Balova said on Saturday on Bulgarian National Television, commenting on the latest amendments to the Election Code. She said these polling stations number around 9,400.

"These are not snap presidential elections. We knew that the presidential election would take place between the end of October and mid-November, and the date is also clear," Balova said regarding the CEC’s preparations for the autumn vote.

According to the CEC spokesperson, some of the voting machines will need repairs.

In her words, there are no grounds for concerns over the security of the vote with machines. First, the voter goes to the machine, selects their preferred candidate or party and sees their choice on the display. A control receipt is then issued, showing the voter’s selection, Balova explained.

She added that a machine protocol is also generated, with the data stored on a flash drive that is cross-checked with the machine voting protocol at the counting centres and, respectively, at the regional election commissions.

"This gives us a triple level of verification," Balova said, adding that the debate over security is largely political.

The CEC spokesperson also said that in-person training for regional election commissions is being considered in order to improve efficiency. Regarding changes to the announcement of election results, Balova said that a review of media profiles on social networks is planned.