The head of state called on citizens not to allow themselves to be isolated from the electoral process and to vote en masse

I call on all citizens not to allow themselves to be isolated from the electoral process and to vote en masse. This was stated by President Rumen Radev to journalists after exercising his right to vote in the second round of the local elections in Sofia. "Let all institutions involved in the electoral process do everything possible to restore trust in the elections, including in the voting machines, and ensure the integrity of the vote by correctly counting every single vote," the head of state emphasized.

"I voted for the dignified future of Sofia and for the responsible management of our capital," the president said in response to a question. Asked to comment on the Prime Minister's request for the release of the chairman of DANS, Rumen Radev emphasized that on election day we must not allow the public focus to be changed in any way. "Today we are all determining the appearance of the local government, of our settlement, of our own future and of Bulgaria," said the head of state.

The President expressed his expectation that after the elections, a thorough analysis of the problems related to the electoral process and machine voting would be made, so that they would not be repeated, as they lead to lower and lower voter turnout. The head of state recalled that the machines have proven their effectiveness in the fight against invalid voting and incorrect filling in of election protocols, and for this it is necessary for the institutions to make efforts to restore trust in machine voting.

According to the head of state, changes in the electoral legislation are necessary, but the continuous amendments to the Electoral Code by each parliament lead to confusion for the electoral administration and the voters. "There should be changes, but they should be clearly focused on clarifying the electoral process," Rumen Radev also pointed out.