Vote counting in the Burgas area went smoothly, apart from a few small hitches. The regional election commission (RIK) in Burgas processed all protocols shortly after 2am, commission chairman Georgi Mihov told BNT.

Handing in the papers was held up because members of one polling station commission left two flash drives in the voting machines. The RIK had to arrange for them to be taken out so work could go on.

"The polling station commissions can say they did fairly well," Mihov said. He added that the protocols had fewer mistakes than at the last election.

If the papers are in good order, a polling station takes about 15 minutes to process, the RIK chairman said.

Mihov wants voting procedures made as simple as possible. He says the many documents to fill in, and the rules on how to arrange and pack them, only make the work harder.