Official website ( https://egov.bg/wps/portal/egov/en/your20europe/residence-in-another-ms/participating-in-elections/ )
Where and how to vote?
Primary method.
Voters in Bulgaria have to vote in person at the polling station of the municipality in which their permanent address is registered, as shown on their identity cards. Voting is compulsory in Bulgaria. However, since the Bulgarian Constitutional Court overturned the article containing sanctions for failing to vote in 2017, this obligation is virtually unenforced.
Alternative method.
Voters wishing to cast their vote at a polling station other than the one in the municipality in which their permanent address is registered can submit a standard-form application to vote at the municipal authority in which they wish to cast their vote no later than 14 days before election day. Disabled voters who are unable to go to the polling station can exercise their vote at home via mobile ballot box no later than 14 days before election day. Exemptions to in-person voting are also possible for pupils and students. Voting by mail, by proxy, and online is not possible.
Polling day requirements
Nationals. Bulgarian citizens only need to bring an identity card or passport for identification purposes at the polling station.
- Mobile EU citizens. A mobile EU citizen is allowed to vote after providing their personal number, their identity card number or passport, and the number of the certificate of residence and date of registration indicated on it. Before voting, the voter must submit a standard declaration that they did not vote in the same elections for members of the EP in their home country.
Who can vote?
General.
An individual must meet the following requirements to vote in EP elections in Bulgaria:
- hold Bulgarian citizenship or be a citizen of another EU Member State;
- be at least 18 years of age;
- not be excluded from voting
Mobile EU citizens.
EU citizens must have continuous or permanent residence status in Bulgaria and they must have lived in Bulgaria or another EU country for at least 3 months i mmediately before election day .
Registration requirements.
Nationals. There is no requirement to register in advance to vote, as registration is done automatically based on the permanent address. If a citizen changed home address recently, it is advisable to check with the national election authority whether the registration on the voting lists is correct.
Bulgarians who are abroad on polling day may vote in a voting station established abroad, by producing a valid identity document and submitting a declaration completed on a standard form which is provided to voters in the relevant voting station. A full list of voting station established abroad will be published by the Central Election Commission before election day .
Mobile EU citizens. Mobile EU citizens will have to register by completing a declaration in order to be added to the electoral roll and submitting it to their local administration.. The declaration has to be filed not later than 40 days before the election day. Information on the process of registration will be made available on the website of Central Election Commission (https://www.cik.bg/en/).
Exclusions.
Bulgarians and mobile EU citizens who have been deprived o f their right to vote in their home country cannot vote in EP elections in Bulgaria.