site.btaAround 2,000 Voting Machines Requiring Repairs Now Fully Operational, CEC Says
Around 2,000 of the voting machines requiring repairs are now fully operational, Central Election Commission (CEC) spokesperson Stoyanka Balova told a briefing on Wednesday. She said the repairs were proceeding on schedule.
The CEC has determined the locations in other countries where polling stations will be established, as well as the number of polling stations in each locality, Balova added.
Nearly 40,000 Bulgarians living abroad have submitted applications to vote in the upcoming presidential election. Consultations with the political forces represented in Parliament on the allocation of roles and representatives on the section election commissions (SECs) abroad will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday at the National Assembly building. The CEC is also due to appoint the SECs abroad by October 12, the Commission's spokesperson said.
During the briefing, Balova also demonstrated a trial version of machine voting. The machines no longer print a full ballot listing all candidates, but only a control receipt showing the voter's selected choice for verification.
Asked whether a voter's choice is preserved if there is a problem with printing, Balova explained that after voting, the machine emits a sound indicating that the receipt has been cut, as well as an alert. “If it has been cut, the voter's vote has been recorded and is stored on the flash drive,” she said. The vote will be included in the tally when the machine's results protocol is generated in the evening, the CEC spokesperson added. “We will show a sample ballot very soon,” she said.
By October 14, the Commission will meet with all 31 constituency election commissions in the country. Balova said the CEC hoped that direct contact with members of the constituency commissions would contribute to better communication, coordination and practical preparations for election day.
The mobile application “Elections 360°” is now available, Balova said. It is divided into two sections – one for voters and one for SEC members.
Balova also reported that the CEC had received a notification from the Council for Electronic Media (CEM) concerning an alleged violation by vice-presidential candidate Atanas Stefanov during a television appearance. He has been fined administratively, the CEC spokesperson said.
/DD/
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