site.btaVoting Machines Will Be Made Available to Citizens before Election Day through Existing Mobile App Upgrade

The voting machines will be made available to citizens before election day through an upgrade to the existing mobile application for members of section election commissions. The app will now have two functions: one for election commission members and another for citizens, allowing voters to go through the entire voting process, Innovation and Digital Transformation Minister Ivan Vasilev said at a briefing in the Parliament building, following a meeting with the Central Election Commission (CEC) on preparations for the October 25, 2026 presidential and vice-presidential elections.

The application will be upgraded at the initiative of the newly elected CEC, with the Ministry providing assistance in implementing the changes. The new functionality will simulate the voting process, allowing citizens to familiarize themselves with the ballot, learning how to use the voting machine before election day, Vasilev said.

"As coordinator, it is extremely important to me that we make the upcoming elections as fair, open and transparent as possible. I am pleased that we discussed with the CEC an upgrade to the mobile application that will allow citizens to test the machines’ functionality before election day," the Minister said.

CEC Chair Georgi Horozov told the briefing that the meeting with the Innovation and Digital Transformation Minister focused on progress in implementing the Election Code in preparation for the presidential and vice-presidential elections. "I am confident that we will complete the entire process as promised, lawfully, in an informed manner and in accordance with the principles of the Election Code," Horozov said. He added that, starting September 1, the CEC would hold press briefings every Tuesday at 2 p.m.

The CEC adopted a decision on the remuneration of regional and section election commission members, which will be published on the CEC’s website. Horozov said there was no significant difference between the remuneration rates and those for the parliamentary elections held on April 19, 2026.

Commenting on the Cabinet's decision to allocate EUR 116.928 million for the elections, he said that the figure was only an estimate and did not necessarily represent the total amount that would ultimately be spent. "Machine voting entails certain financial requirements that must be met," he said.

The CEC has yet to determine the number of polling stations abroad where machine voting will be used. The greater the number of such stations, the greater the number of voting machines that will be required, Horozov said, adding that there would also be transportation costs associated with moving the machines.