Drama in Burgas Election Results: Attempts to Open Ballot Boxes and Delays

The Election Process in Burgas: A Calm Night with Exceptions

The night in Burgas passed relatively calmly, although the RIK (Regional Election Commission) calculation center started work in the early hours. Out of a total of 150,000 votes counted so far, only 2,000 have been indicated as invalid, reported the chairperson of RIK - Burgas, Fani Semerdzhieva.

Problems with Materials and the "White Bag"

Despite fewer errors in the protocols, the election administration faced technical difficulties in the transmission of materials. It was confirmed that some processes were hampered by the need for a full composition of the commissions to retrieve documents.

"The problems we had with the packaging of the materials... fall into the so-called white bag, which is sealed. In order to retrieve documents, we had to gather the commissions in full. This created some problems, but we reacted quickly." - Fani Semerdzhieva, Chairperson of RIK - Burgas

Positive Trends and an Incentive for Accuracy

One of the remarkable positive aspects of these elections was the significant reduction in errors in the protocols. Although the commissions arrived at the center later than usual (after 10:30 a.m.), the quality of the documentation was high.

• Most protocols were completed without errors in the control mechanisms.
• The incentive of 15 euros for a correctly completed protocol may have contributed to the accuracy.
• The use of the electronic platform helped with the preliminary check.

Case of Attempted Box Manipulation

The chairperson of RIK revealed a disturbing incident related to an attempt to open the box with receipts. A member of the section commission was caught peeling off the stickers on the box.

The administration's reaction was immediate:

• RNK-Burgas visited the site immediately after the signal.
• Thanks to the quick reaction of the other members, the box was not opened.
• An act for administrative violation will be drawn up against the perpetrator.

Regarding the "missing" members of the commissions, Semerdzhieva emphasized that the administration's strategy is strict: the remuneration will not be paid for the day of the vote if the member did not participate.