site.btaSaturday Is Reflection Day ahead of Local Election Runoffs

Saturday is a day of reflection ahead of Sunday's second round of voting in the Bulgarian local elections. Canvassing for votes is prohibited from 00:00 hrs on November 4 to the end of polling day at 20:00 hrs on November 5. Voting time may be extended until 21:00 hrs if there are still people waiting outside any voting section to cast their ballots.

It is up to each local government to decide whether to ban the sale of alcohol in the respective municipality.

Sociological agencies are not allowed to publish opinion polls about the elections in any form from 00:00 hrs on Saturday until the end of polling day is announced for the whole country on Sunday.

On polling day, canvassing materials of political parties, coalitions and nomination committees may not be left in voting rooms or less than 50 m from a building where voting is taking place. If a section election commission finds such materials, it should remove them immediately, which may be done with the assistance of the mayor and the police if necessary.

Candidates, parties, coalitions and nomination committees may print and distribute canvassing materials only during the election campaign. The materials must carry the name of the publisher and a warning that the buying and selling of votes is a crime. Canvassing materials placed in accordance with the Election Code may not be destroyed or deleted until the end of polling day.

Penalties

People who place canvassing materials beyond the election campaign will be punished. The Election Code says that a person who violates the restrictions will be punished with a fine or a pecuniary penalty of BGN 1,000 to BGN 3,000. A repeat offence carries a fine or a pecuniary penalty of BGN 3,000 to BGN 10,000.

In case of violation of the rule to remove canvassing materials under the terms established by the Election Code, the representatives of the party, coalition or nomination committee will be fined between BGN 1,000 and BGN 5,000.

A person who violates the ban on publishing opinion polls 24 hours before polling day and before the end of voting will be punished with a fine or a pecuniary penalty of BGN 2,000 to BGN 5,000. A repeat offence carries a fine or a pecuniary penalty of BGN 5,000 to BGN 10,000.