site.btaEuropean Elections in Bulgaria: Data Four Weeks Before the Vote

European Parliament (EP) elections will be held in the EU Member States between June 6 and 9, 2024, the first elections after the UK left the Union. BTA presents data about Bulgaria and the EP elections in this country.

Territory: 110,994 sq km

Population: 6,445,481 people (data of the National Statistical Institute as at December 31, 2023)

GDP per capita: EUR 22,000, below the EU-average (Eurostat data from 2022)

Date of EP elections: June 9,  when snap parliamentary elections will also be held

People with right to vote: 6,157,220 (preliminary data published by the Central Election Commission)

Who can vote: Bulgarian nationals who are at least 18 years old and have lived at least three months in Bulgaria or another Member State prior the elections; nationals of a Member State who meet these requirements, have the right to vote in their home country, and hold a continuous or permanent residence status in Bulgaria

Who must vote: voting is compulsory but no sanction is envisaged for voters who do not exercise their right

Where to vote: Bulgarian voters do not have to register; they exercise their voting right in the voting section of their permanent address. Those wishing to vote elsewhere in the country can do so by submitting a declaration at the local administration; if the vote will be in another Member State, the Bulgarian voters must declare their intention at least 25 days before election day. Exceptions are made for students and pupils. Nationals of other Member States wishing to vote in Bulgaria must register at least 40 days before election day

How to vote: either via paper ballot or a voting machine after presenting an ID card in Bulgaria and a passport or military identification document abroad. Voters with a permanent disability can vote via a mobile ballot box

Constituencies: Bulgaria's territory and voting sections form a single multi-member constituency, with all voters choosing between the same candidate lists

Voting threshold: One-seventeenth of all actual votes for one MEP seat

Preference voting: Voters can indicate their preference for a given candidate on the list of the party they have chosen to support. The number of preference votes determines the order of candidates' election in the parties' lists

Minimum age to run in EP elections: 21 years

Number of MEP seats for Bulgaria: 17

Number of parties and coalitions running: 31 as well as one independent candidate (Central Election Commission data)

Election results: Exit polls are expected around 8 pm on June 9, while the final results should be announced no later than five days after