Compulsory voting

A bill that will lift restrictions for Greek citizens voting in elections abroad was posted for public consultation by the Interior Ministry on Monday.

On Sunday, Bulgaria is holding its first regular parliamentary elections since 2009. Balloting is conducted amidst an unprecedented epidemic emergency, which leaves its imprint on all aspects of the process.

Bulgaria's Constitutional court has abolished unanimously compulsory voting, reported Praven Svyat. The decision was adopted with 11 votes "for" since Anastas Anastasov was absent from the meeting on Thursday.

A court will sit on Friday to determine whether the referendum held in November on the voting system is binding and whether machine voting should be mandatory for all polling stations.

Voters overwhelmingly backed in November the introduction of a majority electoral system, a drastic cut in party subsidies, and mandatory voting in both elections and referenda.

More eligible voters have cast ballots in Bulgaria's presidential runoff vote as of 13:00 on Sunday, officials say.

Activity was 27.2%, or more than 1.847 million people, as of that hour, according to Central Election Commission (CEC) data.

About 225 million American citizens are eligible to vote on Tuesday and elect the country's new president.

Media reports suggest, citing polls, that the outcome of U.S. elections has never been more uncertain.

The final count of votes in Bulgaria's three-point referendum may make its result binding in a surprise move, data from the election authorities shows.

If confirmed, the calculation will not match exit poll projections it does not meet the threshold.

The referendum on the political system may fall short of the turnout needed to make the results mandatory, pollster Alpha Research says.

Bulgarian voters have backed the introduction of a first-past-the-post system, compulsory voting, and a drastic slash in state subsidies handed to political parties, exit poll data shows.

A referendum on three issues is being held on Sunday alongside the presidential election.

Polling stations across Bulgaria will not close at 20:00 but at 21:00 as voting for president still goes on, authorities say.

People are still lining up to cast ballots, under a newly adopted regime of compulsory voting.

The election day will thus continue after first exit polls are announced, giving last-minute voters crucial importance in case of a narrow lead.