site.btaElection Code Changes to Raise Slightly Cost of Presidential Vote

Election Code Changes to Raise Slightly Cost of Presidential Vote

Sofia, October 27 (BTA) - The recently adopted changes to the Election Code will add nearly 250,000 leva to the cost of the November 6 presidential vote, the chief of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), Ivilina Aleksieva, said on Thursday.

Parliament passed on Wednesday amendments to the Election Code, requiring that ballots where the "None of the above" box has been checked be counted only at majority-rule elections like presidential and mayoral votes. The change entails tweaks to the software product used to process the votes by the regional and sectional election commissions and by the CEC, Aleksieva said, adding that these updates will add to the cost of the vote.

The software vendor has assured the necessary updates will be made in time for the elections.

With regards to another change to the Election Code, related to the lifting of the requirement for a maximum of 35 voting sections in EU member states, Aleksieva said that the CEC has at its disposal comprehensive data on the voting applications that have been submitted and is prepared to modify the number of voting sections in the respective country as well as train the members of the respective sectional election commission.

The MPs approved also a change to the Election Code related to the number of sections and the make-up of the sectional election commissions in cases when a municipality, a region or a mayoralty is holding partial local elections simultaneously with the presidential vote. This is the case with the Mladost region in Sofia alongside another two mayoralties. Aleksieva said she will propose that the CEC issue by tomorrow instructions for the distribution of quotas for the additional members of the sectional election commissions so that their lineup could be updated by Sunday. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, these sectional commissions will be trained accordingly.