2,000 more Machines will be Needed in a 2-in-1 Election

For the organization of the two votes separately from each other, there should be at least two weeks between them, says Rositsa Mateva from the CEC

"2-in-1 elections can be organized technically. This is not the first time such a thing has happened. However, more voting machines will have to be bought and the CEC is discussing this."

This was said to BNR by Rositsa Mateva, Deputy Chairman and spokesperson of the Central Election Commission.

Another 2,000 machines will be enough to organize and hold the parliamentary and presidential elections in one day, Mateva said.

If a decision is made to purchase them, a public procurement will be announced. According to her, it is possible that the contractor will not be the current company, supplier of voting machines.

According to the CEC spokeswoman, it would be better for the elections to be 2 in 1, as the parliamentary elections are held on the date of the first round of the presidential elections, ie on November 14.

The arguments are well known: the organization will be easier, the costs for 2 in 1 election will be lower because the same section and district commissions will organize and produce both types of elections:

"In previous years, the remuneration for these commissions was not double, but 100% for one type of election and 50% for the other. It will save on the logistics of ballots, machines, and all ballot papers, it will also save on travel expenses for the members of the commissions outside the country ", added Mateva.

According to her, the software has not yet been handed over by Ciela, the company that provides the machines, and that is why it has not been paid all the amounts due.

"It is...