Presidential vote: hash code generated, machines to be used in 9,373 polling stations
A 64-character code is meant to guarantee that voting machines run the right software on 25 October. It will be printed on every control receipt.
Graphic: TERRA WORLD NEWS (own graphic based on the sources listed)
Ten days before the presidential election on 25 October, Bulgaria's Central Election Commission (CIK) publicly generated the hash code for the voting machines. The code consists of 64 characters, a mix of digits and letters, and certifies that the devices are running the approved software. It was generated in a secure environment provided by the Ministry of Innovation and Digital Transformation. The final number has also been set: machine voting will take place in 9,373 polling stations, with two machines in stations with more than 780 voters.
The code will be printed on every control receipt the machine issues after a vote. Voters can compare it with the code displayed when the machine is started up at the polling station. If the codes do not match, the machine will not be used on election day. The code is also recorded in the decision certifying the compliance of the technical devices, which the ministry publishes on its website.
"Trust in elections is built through concrete actions, clear procedures and publicity at every single step," said Innovation and Digital Transformation Minister Ivan Vasilev. CIK chair Georgi Horozov said the Electoral Code had been "strictly" applied that day. The machines will be installed next, and the institutions responsible insist the vote cannot be manipulated.