site.btaTotal of 334 Candidates Running for Both MP, MEP in Bulgaria's June 9 Elections

On June 9, voters in Bulgaria will choose members of the National Assembly and the European Parliament (EP) on one and the same day for the first time ever. Casting their vote via paper ballots or voting machines, citizens will determine which 17 individuals will represent them at the EP out of 418 candidates, of whom 287 men and 131 women. Those running in both the European and national elections number 334.

The paper ballots will be blue for the EP and green, for the National Assembly. The ballots produced by voting machines will be longer for the European elections.

These are the fourth regular European elections in Bulgaria since its entry in the EU in 2007.

Current MEPs: Bulgaria has 17 representatives to the European Parliament (12 men and 5 women). Seven of them are part of the European People's Party group in the EP,followed by four in the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats, three in Renew Europe, two in European Conservatives and Reformists, and one independent MEP. The Bulgarian members of the EP are 12.

Young voters: An Eurobarometer survey presented on May 13 shows 54% of young Bulgarians plan to vote in the EP elections, compared to an EU-average of 64%. The young people who do not intend to exercise their voting right constitute 21% in Bulgaria and 13% in the EU. Asked what they expect from the EU, 38% of young Bulgarians (as opposed to 34% in the EU) put the fight with poverty first, followed by peace and international cooperation (32% of young people in Bulgaria and 37% in the EU) and protection of human rights and European values (26% in Bulgaria and 30% in the EU). 

Opinion polls: According to a Trend poll commissioned by Nova Broadcasting Group and the 24 Chasa daily and conducted among 1,002 citizens between April 12 and 19, the biggest share of those planning to vote in the European elections - 25.2% - would choose GERB-UDF. Next is the Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria coalition with 16.1% of the votes, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) with 14.3%, Vazrazhdane with 14.2%, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) with 8.7%, and There Is Such a People (TISP) with 4.8%. According to an Alpha Research poll conducted among 1,000 citizens between April 25 and May 2, GERB-UDF would get 25.1% of the votes, CC-DB 18.5%, Vazrazhdane 14.8%, the MRF 14.4%, the BSP 8%, and TISP 4.8%.

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

Election results: The final results should be announced no later than five days after election day.