CEC approves guidelines for the April 19 elections: What should polling station commissions know?

24.03.2026 | Domestic policy

The Central Election Commission (CEC) adopted methodological guidelines for the early parliamentary elections on April 19. Important deadlines and tasks for polling station commissions have been announced, including the computer processing of data. The requirements for the processing of machine voting have also been determined. A reminder is given of the deadline for submitting applications for voting abroad.

© BurgasMedia.com — Andrii Maslo

The Central Election Commission (CEC) adopted at a meeting today the methodological guidelines for the application of the Election Code by the polling station election commissions for the early parliamentary elections on April 19 this year.

The instructions indicate what the polling station commissions should do before election day, on election day, after the end of election day and when handing over the election documents and ballots. There are also two appendices - one for voting only with paper ballots and the second for voting with paper ballots and ballots from machine voting.

In addition, the Central Election Commission assigned "Information Services" the computer processing of data in the regional election commissions and in the CEC from the vote, including machine voting.

The Election Code states that the CEC determines the requirements for the organization and technology of the computer processing of voting data and for the issuance of a bulletin with the election results, including from machine voting, no later than 55 days before election day and assigns the execution to "Information Services" AD. This is the basis for conducting the public procurement through a negotiated procedure without prior announcement, the CEC pointed out.

The commission reminded that on March 24, 2026 at 24:00 Bulgarian time, the deadline for submitting applications for voting in a section outside the country expires.