CEC: Voter turnout at 16.00 is 20,44% in Bularia's early general elections and 20,88% in the regular European Parliament elections

As at 4 p.m., voter turnout in the country in the elections for the National Assembly and the European Parliament was just over 20%, the Central Election Commission (CEC) said on June 9.

Bulgarians go to the polls

The average turnout in the early parliamentary elections in the country has been 20.44%. The lowest turnout has been recorded in Sliven - 15.14%, and the highest - in Smolyan - 27.09%.

As at 4 p.m., 20.89% had exercised their right to vote for the members of the European Parliament. The lowest turnout was again in Sliven - 14.86%, and the highest in Kardzhali - 28.57%.

Voting was suspended at 117 machines as at 5 pm. 7 of the defective devices were outside the country.

The Central Election Commission said that 72 complaints and signals had been filed in connection with various violation, most frequent of which were about voters who are not allowed to the polling stations, cases of election campaigning, as well as about members of polling stations commissions who do not put stamps on the machine ballots.

"Again, we call on the members of polling station commissions to perform their duties. They are responsible and it is their duty," CEC spokeswoman Rositsa Mateva reminded.

Voting outside the country has already ended in New Zealand, Australia and Japan. Some of the polling stations there have already submitted their results to the CEC.