• Tuesday, 25 June 2024

N. Macedonia nationals with Bulgarian addresses included in voter’s lists: reports

N. Macedonia nationals with Bulgarian addresses included in voter’s lists: reports
Sofia, 14 November 2021 (MIA) – North Macedonia nationals with Bulgarian origin and having residence addresses in Bulgaria have been included in the voter’s lists in Bulgaria for Sunday’s election although they haven’t cast a vote for years, Blagoevgrad’s local radio station BNR reports. The names of more than 8,200 votes, up by 1,600 compared to the previous parliamentary elections, have been included in voters lists in polling stations in a Blagoevgrad village, MIA’s Sofia correspondent reports. According to reports, Macedonian nationals with residence addresses in Bulgaria have been “spilled over” between two neighboring villages in the Blagoevgrad region. “There are now 1,590 voters whereas there were 3,200 in the previous elections. Also, there were 6,500 voters in the July 11 elections, now there are 8,235. Evidently, these 1,600 people from the village of Rilci have been transferred to Belo Pole,” said the commission heads. Nearly 25,000 Macedonian nationals with Bulgarian origin have residence addresses in the municipality of Blagoevgrad. According to unofficial figures, there are over 35,000 in the region. Because they don’t vote, it only affects the turnout, which has been very low so far. In the July 11 parliamentary elections, Bulgarian Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov revealed that there were open channels for vote buying by enabling Macedonian nationals with Bulgarian origin to vote in the elections.