The chair of a polling-station commission in the village of Izgrev, in Tsarevo municipality, has been removed following a report that he arrived under the influence of alcohol. The Burgas regional election commission made the decision after an inspection and invalidated his certificate.
What the inspection established
Inspectors described behaviour they considered inappropriate for the role and reported alcohol inside the polling premises. Regional commission chair Georgi Mihov said the man acknowledged drinking and that a fellow commission member confirmed a two-litre bottle of beer was in his luggage. These are the inspection’s findings and Mihov’s account, not a medical test result.
The station’s leadership was replaced
A new chair was appointed, with a change also made to the deputy-chair position. Police assistance was requested to ensure the removed chair left the station. The action concerns who runs the commission; it does not by itself invalidate the votes cast there.
Why the role matters
Polling commissions oversee voter identification, the conduct of voting and the documentation of results. Their ability to work accurately and impartially is therefore part of the safeguards around the ballot. Replacing a member during the day requires a documented administrative decision and clear continuity in the station’s work.
The limits of the report
The information reviewed establishes a personnel decision after a check. It does not announce a criminal conviction, cancelled results or a closure of the polling station. Those would be separate decisions requiring their own evidence.
