Election type

Bulgaria, Electoral Code (2014, amended by SG. 107/18 Dec 2020), accessed 11 April 2021

Art. 11. (1) The Central Electoral Commission shall determine the conditions and procedure for formation of the polling stations abroad, including the conditions, procedure and organization for voting of Bulgarian citizens abroad, not later than 57 days before the election day.

(2) (new - SG 39/16, in force from 26.05.2016) Shall not be allowed the formation of polling stations outside the territory of the diplomatic and consular representations of the Republic of Bulgaria except in the cases of Art. 14, Para 2 and 3.

(3) (prev. text of Para 02 - SG 39/16, in force from 26.05.2016) The Central Electoral Commission shall immediately submit the decision under Para. 1 to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Art. 12. (amend. - SG 39/16, in force from 26.05.2016) The Central Electoral Commission, not later than 21 days before the election day shall determine the places in the states, in which polling stations will be formed outside the country and the number of the polling stations in each place. The decision of the Central Electoral Commission may be appealed under Art. 58.

Art. 13. (1) In elections for Members of Parliament, for President and Vice President of the Republic and for Members of the European Parliament for the Republic of Bulgaria, the heads of the diplomatic and consulate representations of the Republic of Bulgaria shall form polling stations outside the country while observing the legislation of the relevant state. […]

Art. 14. (amend. - SG 39/16, in force from 26.05.2016; amend. - SG 57/16, in force from 22.07.2016) (1) The polling stations abroad shall be established in a diplomatic or consular representation, except in the cases of Para 2 and 3.

(2) In the places in the Member States of the European Union, outside the diplomatic or consular representation office is located, shall be established polling stations, if there are not less than 60 voters, who have filed an application under Art. 16, Para 1.

(3) By a decision of the Central Electoral Commission at discretion of the heads of diplomatic and consular representative offices in the places in states which are not European Union Member States, outside the diplomatic or consular representation office, polling stations shall be set up based on minimum 60 voters, who have filed an application under Art. 16, Para 1. The heads of diplomatic and consular representative offices of Republic of Bulgaria, based on the territorial distribution of Bulgarian community, the remoteness of polling stations and the requirement of par. 5, shall send a justified proposal to the Central Electoral Commission not later than within 25 days prior to the elections day.

(4) Para 3 shall not apply to the elections for members of the European Parliament from the Republic of Bulgaria.

(5) (suppl. - SG 85/16, in force from 28.10.2016) The total number of polling station to be set up in one country which is not a member of the EU cannot exceed 35.