Bulgaria's Election Commission Delays Decision on Voting Machines

Election authorities in Bulgaria are not to decide until Saturday on whether voting machines will be commissioned for the snap poll due in a month.

The final say is expected a day into the election campaign, after the Central Election Commission (CEC) said needed more time than the initial deadline on Friday as it was waiting for a report by a special subcommission.

Bulgaria needs 12 500 voting machines until March 26 as electronic voting was made mandatory in the latest legislation last year. Under the law, voters must have the option to either cast a paper ballot or do so through a voting machine.

The country, however, has only 500 in stock. A public procurement procedure was launched, but only one bidder had submitted an offer within the deadline.

CEC spokesperson Tsvetozar Tomov told the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) on Friday his institution would have to look into a report by the specially designated subcommission to decide.

"I believe the CEC will do everything so that there is electronic voting," he added.

Experts and officials have been arguing the election will not be postponed if there are not enough machines on March 26.