Members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) met Bulgaria's Central Election Commission (CEC) today to hear how preparations are going for the presidential and vice-presidential elections on 25 October 2026, the commission's press office said.

They discussed Bulgaria's election system, the legal procedure for choosing a head of state and voter turnout. CEC members told the international observers how elections are run, what rules govern the nomination of candidates and how the commission makes sure the vote is lawful.

The CEC said low turnout is a problem for many countries in the Black Sea region. Both sides discussed how to raise it, including by giving voters better information. The commission also outlined its plans for a broad public information campaign before the vote, which aims to keep people informed and encourage them to vote.

The CEC described the meeting as part of its dialogue with international observers and election experts, in which they share good practice on democratic processes and elections.

Commission members also met observers from the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) the same day, and spoke with the organisation Electio Lab yesterday. Representatives of the US, Belgium, Norway, Italy, Germany, Spain, Slovakia, Portugal, Hungary, Denmark, Ireland, Poland, Argentina, South Africa and other countries took part in the talks.