site.bta Parties Have until September 9 to Apply for Registration to Contest October 25 Local Elections

Parties Have until September 9 to Apply for Registration to Contest October 25 Local Elections

Sofia, August 11 (BTA) - Political parties and coalitions have
until September 9 to apply for registration for the October 25,
2015 local elections, Central Election Commission (CEC)
Spokesman Alexander Andreev told BTA on Tuesday, referring to an
 Election Code provision according to which an application for
registration must be presented to the CEC not later than 45 days
 in advance of polling day.

The elections were formally scheduled by President Rosen
Plevneliev on Monday. The President also decreed that a
referendum on remote electronic voting will be conducted
simultaneously with the elections.

The CEC is expected to announce the starting date of the
registration process in the coming days, Andreev said. After
registering at the CEC, parties and coalitions must also
register in the respective constituencies. The registration
deadline is the same for parties and local coalitions, but the
latter may change their composition after registration not later
 than 35 days in advance of polling day.

Bulgarian voters abroad may take part in the referendum but not
in the elections because voting in local elections is limited to
 residents in the respective municipality. Non-Bulgarian EU
citizens who have been permanently or continuously resident in a
 given place in Bulgaria for at least six months (in this case,
since at least April 25, 2015) are eligible to vote in the
elections.

The simultaneous conduct of the local elections with a
referendum will not hamper CEC's work because the "two in one"
formula is common practice, Andreev said, adding, however, that
the vote count will be delayed.

The CEC is ready to introduce machine voting. At future
meetings, the Commission will determine the number of voting
sections and the constituencies where machine voting will be
applied, the Spokesman said.