site.bta E-Voting to be Experimented after January 2018

E-Voting to be Experimented after January 2018

Sofia, April 28 (BTA) - Electronic voting will be experimented after January 1, 2018 in three successive elections, including by-elections, in one Bulgarian region, according to Election Code amendments adopted on second reading late on Wednesday.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has until that date to simulate remote e-voting with fictitious parties, coalitions or candidates on three occasions.

The CEC is to set up a permanent specialized unit for technical support and technical control of remote e-voting, which will coordinate its activity with the Council of Ministers.

If the experimental e-voting is successful, meaning that the secrecy of the ballot and the system's security are guaranteed, citizens' control of the election process is ensured, and significant violations are not established, remote e-voting will be available as an option in the 2019 European Parliament elections and the results will be taken into account.

The MPs banned canvassing during religious rites on a motion by Yordan Tsonev MP of the Movement fro Rights and Freedoms.

Any new parliamentary parties and coalitions which enter the Bulgarian Parliament in the next elections or return an MEP but are not represented in the Bulgarian Parliament can nominate one member to the CEC for the 2014-2019 term. The nominations will be made to the President.

An election commissioner who violates the Election Code will be fined between 20 leva and 200 leva for a first offence, and between 200 leva to 500 leva for a repeat offence.

Parties or candidates who fail to declare donations will be fined between 1,000 leva and 3,000 leva for a first offence, and between 3,000 leva and 10,000 leva for a repeat offence.

The threshold for valid preferences for municipal councillors was set at 7 per cent of the votes for the candidate list. Before the amendment a candidate was required to win at least 7 per cent of the municipal electoral quota to move further up the list.