Bulgarian elections are coming, and with them articles about vote buying, especially in Roma communities. On one of the dark days of the last election week, the leaders of the Roma community in the neighborhood of the village of Kalipetrovo, located near Silistra, gathered for a cup of tea to share their grievance that “they promised to buy them a bicycle, but another time”. This other time, however, there are not even promises.

They are happy with their mayor, but one bird does not make spring. And they want simple things – a better life for the grandchildren they are raising while their sons and daughters are in England and somewhere else in the world.

• Ромски лидери от с. Калипетрово обидени на политиците. In: BNR. 31.03.2023. https://bnr.bg/post/101802182/romski-lideri-ot-s-kalipetrovo-obideni-na-politicite

Voting in the country’s Roma neighbourhoods was met with an extremely low interest, probably due to regular and massive police operations against vote-buyers, an unfortunately common practice. The previous trend of local voters favouring GERB, a conservative and populist party and to some extent DPS was maintained, as can be seen from the protocols of the sectional election commissions.

That Roma favour GERB is somewhat surprising, as they are not specially kind to them.

• Малобройният ромски вот фаворизира ГЕРБ. In: Sega. 04.10.2022. https://segabg.com/hot/category-bulgaria/malobroyniyat-romski-vot-favorizira-gerb

In the current Bulgarian elections, one party (SIK) claims that another one (GERB) voted instead of the Roma in a Roma neighbourhood in Shumen.

• В ромски секции членове на СИК гласуват вместо избиратели, твърди ГЕРБ. In: Off News. 02.10.2022. https://offnews.bg/politika/v-romski-sektcii-chlenove-na-sik-glasuvat-vmesto-izbirateli-tvardi-ge-786280.html

There were some information of  potential sabotage of voting machines in some Roma neighbourhoods in Bulgaria. Several voters claim that the machine miscounted their vote.

• Има сигнали, че се готви саботаж на машинното гласуване в ромски махали. In: Darik News. 01.10.2022. https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/ima-signali-che-se-gotvi-sabotazh-na-mashinnoto-glasuvane-v-romski-mahali-2326015