ABSTRACT
In Bulgaria, democratic local elections have been held since 1991. Municipal councilors in 265 municipalities are elected in a proportional representation list system. In contrast, mayors (who play the leading role in the local governments) are elected directly using a two-round majority system. These principal rules have remained stable over the last decades, yet several changes have been introduced (e.g., preferential voting in 2014) or widely discussed (e.g., a nonbinding national referendum on electronic voting in 2015). Local elections in Bulgaria are characterized by low voter turnout, particularly in larger urban municipalities. The representatives of national political parties dominate local elected offices.
