site.bta5,053 Municipal Councillors to Be Elected on October 29

A total of 5,053 municipal councillor seats will be contested at the October 29, 2023 local elections, Central Election Commission (CEC) Deputy Chair and Spokesperson Rositsa Mateva told a news briefing here on Tuesday.

Municipal councils will be elected in all 265 municipalities countrywide. Councils vary in size by population, from 11 members for municipalities with fewer than 5,000 residents to 61 members for the most populous municipality (Sofia City).

The sequential numbers under which parties and coalitions will appear on the ballots will be determined by lot drawn on September 27, she pointed out. The sequential number of the local coalitions and independent candidates follow the numbers of the parties and coalitions in the order in which their applications are recorded in the register of the municipal election commissions, Mateva added.

The coalitions registered at the CEC have until September 23 to make changes in their composition and name, and local coalitions can do so at the municipal election commissions.

Asked about the software of the voting machines, Mateva said that the contractor is required to offer two versions. Voters should be able to determine right from the outset the number and kinds of elections in which to vote, to go back and change their choice. How this will be done will become clear after negotiations with the contractor and the conclusion of a contract.