2024-08-30 23:52:29
The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) adopted a decision on the terms and conditions for the formation of electoral sections outside the country and for the appointment of the composition of the sectional electoral commissions for the elections for people’s representatives on October 27 this year.
Electoral sections outside the country are formed by the heads of the diplomatic and consular missions of the Republic of Bulgaria and in compliance with the legislation of the respective country.
A Bulgarian citizen who has the right to vote on October 27 of this year. and wishes to vote outside the country, may declare this no later than 25 days before the election day (October 1, 2024) by means of a written application according to the model, the decision of the CEC states.
The application can be signed by hand and submitted in person to the diplomatic or consular representation of the Republic of Bulgaria in the respective country; to be sent by letter by post or by courier service to the diplomatic or consular representation in the respective country, and there may be more than one application in one letter, but only one person may be entered in each application; or to be submitted electronically, via the website of the CEC.
The heads of the diplomatic and consular missions of the Republic of Bulgaria prepare and sign lists of the persons who have the right to vote, by country and place. The lists serve to form polling stations for voting outside the country.
The Central Election Commission no later than 21 days before election day (October 5, 2024) determines the places in the states where polling stations will be formed outside the country and the number of polling stations in each place.
The polling stations are formed by order of the heads of the diplomatic or consular missions not later than 18 days before the election day (October 8, 2024) based on the previous decision of the CEC. The order specifies the location of the polling stations by location.
When the number of voters who voted in places of elections held up to five years before the election day is more than 500, as many polling stations are formed in the corresponding places as many times the number 500 is contained in the number of voters. If there is a residue, an additional section can be formed. The same applies when the number of submitted applications for voting in places outside the country exceeds 500.
The CEC appoints sectional election commissions for each electoral section outside the country no later than 12 days before election day (October 14, 2024), the decision states.
The sectional election commission outside the country consists of a chairman, deputy chairman, secretary and members. When determining their composition and leadership, the ratio of parliamentary parties and coalitions is preserved. The ratio is determined after members proposed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs or a deputy minister authorized by him are excluded from the number of members.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs immediately publishes on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the terms and conditions for the formation of electoral divisions outside the country. They are also published on the websites of the Bulgarian diplomatic and consular missions.
Yesterday, the Central Electoral Commission determined the remuneration of the members of the regional election commissions (REC) and the sectional election commissions (SEC)/PSEC in the country and the specialists of the REC for the production of the elections for people’s representatives on October 27, 2024, writes BTA.