site.btaUPDATED Voter Turnout by 4 p.m.: 34.16%

In Bulgaria's local elections on Sunday, voter turnout countrywide was 34.16% by 4:00 p.m., Sunday Central Election Commission (CEC) Spokesperson Rositsa Mateva told a news briefing at 5:00 p.m. 

Chelopech Municipality (Western Bulgaria) had the highest turnout, 75.15%, and Dobrich (Northeastern Bulgaria) the lowest, 23.18%.

By comparison, the turnout was 43.55% by 5:30 p.m. on polling day at the previous local elections in 2019, Mateva said.

Several mayoralties have reported that there running out of paper ballots. The CEC has instructed the municipal and section election commissions to use photocopies ballots, so that the voting can proceed.

Replying to a question, Mateva said that a replacement will be appointment for the chair of the Dimovo Municipal Election Commission who passed earlier on Sunday. She assured the media that there are arrangements for the seamless operation of the election administration in such cases.

Irregularities

CEC has received 32 complaints and 74 alerts about irregularities on polling day, Mateva said.

For its part, the Interior Ministry was approached with 428 reports about irregularities, Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov told bTV Sunday evening.

In his words, this number is unprecedented, and the irregularities are across the spectrum, from vote buying to prohibited canvasing.

Nevertheless, the polling day was relatively calm, Stoyanov said. He added that the police has instituted nine pre-trial proceedings, and a number of checks are still in progress.

"There is no party that is not implicated in vote buying and selling," the Interior Minister said.