site.btaLegal Affairs Committee Calls on MPs to Support Electronic Voting

Legal Affairs Committee Calls on MPs to Support Electronic Voting

Sofia, January 19 (BTA) - The parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee adopted a draft resolution inviting Parliament to support the option of remote electronic voting. On Tuesday the committee discussed the outcome of the October 25, 2015 referendum about the introduction of remote electronic voting.

A total of 2,587,593 valid votes were cast in the referendum which asked the question "Do you favour the possibility to vote remotely by electronic means as well in elections and referendums?" and which was held together with the regular local elections. The number of votes in favour of e-voting was 1,883,411, or 69.52 per cent, compared to 704,182 against, or 25.99 per cent, Committee Chairman Danail Kirilov recalled.

At its meeting on Tuesday the Legal Affairs Committee adopted a draft resolution according to which Parliament supports the option for remote e-voting during elections and referendums in the presence of legal guarantees about the secrecy of the ballot, civic control over the voting process, and IT security.

The draft resolution also says that by February 29, the Legal Affairs Committee is to discuss at first reading all bills submitted that pertain to the Election Code, including such envisaging the introduction of the option for e-voting. The Committee will also review and analyse all options and procedures for remote e-voting applied in the European law.

By the end of April the Committee is to issue a report on the Election Code bills adopted at first reading, before submitting them for a second reading discussion.

Kirilov said that at the moment there are eight "pending" bills to amend the Election Code.