On October 27, 2024, Bulgarians will head to the polls for early parliamentary elections. These are the seventh such elections in the last three years and the second to take place in 2024, following the June 9 vote, which coincided with the European Parliament elections. Voters will elect 240 national representatives to the 51st National Assembly, with the election taking place across 31 multi-mandate constituencies (MIRs). These constituencies align with Bulgaria’s administrative regions, except for Sofia-city, which is split into three, and Plovdiv, divided into two.

The interim government led by Dimitar Glavchev is responsible for organizing these elections, with Atanas Ilkov serving as the new interior minister, replacing Kalin Stoyanov, who is now running as a candidate from DPS-New Beginning. The government has allocated a budget of approximately 100 million leva for the elections, slightly more than the 98 million leva spent during the combined elections in June 2024. Over the last three years, Bulgaria has spent nearly half a billion leva on its frequent elections.

According to Bulgarian law, voting is mandatory for all citizens aged 18 and over, excluding those under interdiction or serving a prison sentence. However, the Constitutional Court abolished the penalties for non-participation in 2017, so there are no consequences for not voting. The election process will be mixed, using both paper ballots and machines. Paper ballots will be used in smaller polling stations (with fewer than 300 voters), in specialized institutions like medical facilities and detention centers, as well as in cases where a mobile ballot box is used.

Voting will take place between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., and may extend to 9:00 p.m. if there are voters waiting. Machine voting requires voters to use a smart card provided by the sectional committee, which is inserted into the device to display the e-ballot. Voters choose a party or coalition and may select a preferred candidate from the list. Voters abroad, however, cannot mark a preference; they may only vote for a party or coalition.

For paper ballots, voters mark their choice for a party or independent candidate by placing an "X" or "V" in blue ink. They can also indicate a preference for a candidate on the right side of the ballot. Preferences are counted only if marked correctly, and votes without a preference are attributed to the list leader. Invalid ballots occur when incorrect marks are made, multiple boxes are checked, or when inscriptions or incorrect pens are used.

Bulgarian citizens can vote with a mobile ballot box if they have permanent disabilities and apply to their municipality by the deadline. Those with disabilities who miss the initial deadline can still request mobile voting five days before the election, provided a commission is available in their area.

Bulgarians abroad will have 719 polling sections in 57 countries. The highest numbers of sections are in Turkey (168), the UK (112), and Spain (64), with machine voting available in 157 of these. Bulgarians voting abroad can participate using their identity documents, even without prior application, but must sign a declaration confirming they will not vote elsewhere.

For this election, seats in parliament will be distributed to parties and coalitions receiving at least 4% of the vote. The method of the largest remainder is used for seat allocation, with a minimum of 10 seats per party. The preferential vote can rearrange party lists if a candidate receives at least 7% of the party's votes.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) will announce the official results within four days of the vote, by October 31, while sociological agencies will provide exit poll estimates shortly after voting closes at 8 p.m. The final list of elected representatives is expected by November 3. For further information on registered candidate lists or to locate their polling station, voters can use the GRAO website or call the toll-free number available nationwide. Full-time students living away from their permanent address can vote where they study, provided they present identification and complete a declaration confirming they will not vote elsewhere.