Georgi Sharkov: We will guarantee fair elections with transparent machines and video surveillance

"When I accepted the invitation of the caretaker Prime Minister Andrei Gyurov to take the post of Minister of Electronic Governance, I told him one thing very clearly - I will do everything in my power so that Bulgarian citizens can vote in fair and transparent elections." This was stated by Minister Georgi Sharkov during an event at which the serial numbers of the voting machines, which are to be certified for the upcoming vote, were drawn at random.

"I sincerely believe that machine voting increases the security and transparency of the vote, and thanks to video surveillance, violations are established that would otherwise go unnoticed by the authorities," Sharkov emphasized. He assured that the Ministry of Electronic Governance will ensure maximum publicity at all stages of the preparation of the elections for which it has responsibilities.

Start of certification of voting machines

During the event, the serial numbers of ten of a total of 11,528 voting machines provided by the CEC were drawn at random. This act marks the beginning of the procedure for certifying the devices, within the framework of which it will be checked whether they meet all the technical and legal requirements of the Electoral Code.

The checks will be carried out by experts from the Ministry of Electronic Governance, in partnership with representatives of the Bulgarian Institute for Standardization and the Bulgarian Institute of Metrology, as well as with the participation of external specialists. The aim is for the process to be carried out professionally, independently and with full transparency to the public.

The role of the Ministry of Electronic Governance

"The Ministry of Electronic Governance is responsible for the technical part of the electoral process - for the certification of the machines, the preparation of the software, as well as for the provision of a video surveillance and video recording system during the counting of the ballots at the end of election day," explained Georgi Sharkov.

The minister noted that the preparation of the elections is a complex process that requires coordination between many institutions - the Central Election Commission, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, as well as the regional and municipal administrations. "Only with joint efforts can the normal conduct of election day be guaranteed," he said.

Cybersecurity of the elections - under special focus

In response to a question about cybersecurity during the electoral process, Sharkov emphasized that it was his profile that was the reason he was invited to the cabinet. "It is no accident that I am the Minister of Electronic Governance and it is no accident that Prime Minister Andrei Gyurov invited me to this post. Not only he, but also everyone who knows me is convinced of my professionalism," he said.

The Minister added: "You can be sure that I am fully aware of the procedure, the possibilities and the architecture of the voting machines. Each calculation process has controls at both the input and the output. And everything can be checked by at least two sources." In this way, Sharkov assured that all possible measures will be taken to protect against external interference and technical manipulations.

Appeal to citizens: trust is built with participation

In conclusion, the minister called on citizens to be active in the elections. He emphasized that trust in the democratic process is built not only through the work of institutions, but also through the mass participation of voters. "The more people go to the polls, the stronger the signal that society believes in its choice," Sharkov said, adding that transparent procedures and strong technical guarantees make sense only if they are supported by real activity of citizens.