Exit poll suggests center-right GERB party will win Bulgaria election
PBS NewsHourDec 24, 2022
The Facts
On Thursday, hundreds of protesters hit the streets of Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, following Parliament's vote to bring back paper ballots at polling stations.
Led by the Democratic Bulgaria alliance and the We Continue the Change (WCC) party, protesting Bulgarians demanded the rollback of the Election Code amendments approved last week – which they claim will result in the theft of future elections.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
By bringing back paper ballots, the GERB-led Paper Coalition — which includes the Movement for Rights and Freedoms alliance and the Bulgarian Socialist Party — is preparing for a trilateral ruling majority. History has shown that elections are rigged with paper, and there's no doubt the coalition is rushing to re-introduce such ballots so that GERB can maintain its monopoly in local governments.
Pro-establishment narrative
The opposition’s demand to restrict voting entirely to machines is fundamentally flawed as it infringes on the freedom of choice. Allowing voters to decide between a voting machine or a paper ballot ensures a cleaner, more transparent, and fair electoral process, while unjustified speculation of fraud achieves the exact opposite.
