Election Recount Deadline to Be Met Amid Controversy

The CEO of election service provider Information Services, Ivaylo Filipov, confirmed during a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday that the company will meet the Wednesday morning deadline for recalculating the results of the October 2024 parliamentary elections. This follows instructions from the Central Election Commission (CEC) after a recount ordered by the Constitutional Court, CE Report quotes BTA

Filipov revealed that all parties in Parliament would lose votes following the recount of ballots from over 2,000 polling stations. He also highlighted discrepancies in seven voting sections, where votes were either entirely erased or significantly reduced. In two sections, all votes for political parties and candidates were marked as zero, despite both paper and machine votes being cast. Additionally, four sections had all machine votes eliminated, and one section had all paper ballots scrapped. In total, 780 votes disappeared, including 739 from parliamentary parties and 32 from Velichie, which narrowly missed the parliamentary threshold.

A recalculated vote count lowers the 4% parliamentary entry barrier by 31 votes. Filipov criticized the lack of transparency in the process, noting that Information Services is recalculating results without public access to source materials or online publication of protocols. He also stated that the Constitutional Court refused to secure the ballots in the disputed polling stations.

The controversy escalated when Information Services provided election documents to the prosecution without prior court approval, prompting an unprecedented response from the Constitutional Court, which argued that this action hindered its ability to resolve the case. Filipov admitted to filing the report to the prosecution, stating that he could not remain passive in a situation that could jeopardize the election process and the credibility of Information Services.

Meanwhile, the CEC clarified that the Constitutional Court prohibited the publication of re-entered figures until a ruling is issued. This decision has fueled concerns over the transparency and integrity of the recount process.