Sofia, 19 April 2026 (MIA) - Bulgarians are heading to the polls Sunday to elect the 52nd National Assembly, in another important vote shaped by the country’s political dynamics in recent years.

Polling stations opened at 7 am and will remain open until 8 pm, with voting possibly extended until 9 pm. if there are queues of voters waiting to cast their ballots.

A total of 24 political parties and coalitions are taking part in the election race. Overall, 4,786 candidates are competing for 240 parliamentary seats. Of them, 1,440 are women and 3,343 are men.

Around 12,000 polling stations have been opened across the country to ensure easy access to voting. At 9,354 polling stations, voting is conducted using both machines and paper ballots, while at 3,367 stations voting is carried out only with paper ballots.

A total of 1,251 polling stations have been made accessible for persons with disabilities. These locations are equipped with tactile templates for blind and visually impaired voters, as well as QR codes that convert ballot text into audio, enabling independent voting.

According to the Central Election Commission, 6,575,151 citizens are eligible to vote. Some individuals in the electoral roll are not entitled to vote due to legal restrictions, while voting permits at alternative polling stations have also been issued to members of election commissions, observers and candidates.

Bulgarians abroad are also voting at 493 polling stations across 55 countries. According to the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, voting for the new composition of the National Assembly abroad began last night at 10 pm Bulgarian time and will end at 6 am on Monday, April 20.

These elections are part of a series of frequent parliamentary votes in recent years, reflecting instability and a shifting political landscape in the country. Citizens once again have the opportunity to cast their vote and influence the future composition of parliament and the country’s direction in the coming period.

Photo: MIA