Official data published at the website of Bulgaria's election authority suggest that 9,720 votes at the January 27 referendum on nuclear energy went uncounted.

The data show that 1,415,183 voters have signed at polling stations as having voted, while the Central Electoral Commission has taken into account 1,405,463 votes.

This makes for a difference of 9,720 votes, almost half the number of votes registered as invalid, 20,180.

The Electoral Commission has said that the difference is probably due to "sloppy work" by election officers at polling stations.

The official turnout at the referendum, which asked the question question "Should Bulgaria develop nuclear energy through the construction of a new power plant?", was 20.22%.

Of them 60.60% voted "yes," 37.96% voted "no," and 1.436% cast an invalid ballot.

Another discrepancy in the counting of the vote was revealed last week, with the official graph showing turnout in one of the electoral districts starting to drop down at some point during the referendum day, which is logically impossible.