653 voting machines are going out today to nearly 750 polling stations in Burgas region under heavy police guard, a day before Sunday's run-off. Members have been replaced in almost 10% of polling station commissions (SIK), the Burgas regional election commission (RIK) said.

On Saturday 24 October, a week ago, all machines in the region were delivered to the stations and tested, and the rooms were sealed before the first round.

More on this story: 653 voting machines tested in Burgas region, polling stations sealed for Sunday's vote

Georgi Mihov, head of the Burgas RIK, said the replacements were for people who did not turn up for the first round and for others who had said in advance they would be away on Sunday. He said the parties entitled to seats on the commissions had contacted their people again to find out who would come. "Maybe 10%, which is not a small number," Mihov told BNT.

The machines came from Sofia late at night and were unloaded at a warehouse with video surveillance and police guard. In the morning the lorries were unsealed under police guard, and delivery to the stations began. Each machine is checked before it leaves, and every route has a police escort. The deadline for delivery and checks is the end of the day.

Siela Norma handles technical support for machine voting, with nearly 180 technicians working in the region. Petko Kalev, the firm's representative for Burgas, said the machines are checked and leave along 19 routes. At each station a technician carries in the machine, opens it in front of the commission members and checks that it works. That completes the preparation. Kalev said he hopes there will be no technical problems during voting.

In all, 1,050 Interior Ministry staff have been assigned to guard the elections. Burgas security police, headed by commissioner Dimitar Dachev, will send extra patrols to high-risk areas and to places with crowds and signs of possible election violations.

The commissions have yet to receive the election papers. Police will guard the sealed rooms.

Final preparations are under way at the Arena Burgas hall, which will receive the protocols and election papers after voting ends on Sunday. Mihov said the organisation has improved since the first round. Commission members will first sit down in the hall, and only then will processing start. Last time, papers were processed as soon as members came in. "I expect we will cope a lot faster," the RIK head said.