# The price of a vote in a Bulgarian pub URL: https://www.transparency.org/en/news/the-price-of-a-vote-in-a-bulgarian-pub Type: News Published: 2015-06-09 Updated: 2019-11-19 --- ![](https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/Bulgaria_pub.jpg?auto=compress&fit=crop&fm=webp&w=620&h=348.75) 09 June 2015 You might not look twice if you saw a politician in your pub ordering a drink, but what about if they were trying to buy votes? Sadly, such a scenario might not be surprising to people living in one village in Bulgaria. Ahead of the 2014 Bulgarian parliamentary election, [Transparency International Bulgaria](http://www.transparency.bg/en/) received a call from a concerned citizen about a vote-buying scheme targeting the minority Roma population in a small village. According to the witness, a local pub owner was selected by a political party to coordinate the scheme in this village. Each person who voted for the political party would reportedly receive US$40.00-55.00 per vote. The catch was that the pub owner had to ensure the political party would win in that village. If they didn’t win, the money wouldn’t be paid out. Transparency International Bulgaria immediately alerted law enforcement authorities. The regional police department initiated an investigation, successfully targeting the perpetrators to ensure the scheme would fail and not interfere with the election – which was only a matter of days away. ### Fighting electoral fraud While this incident ended well, electoral fraud in Bulgaria remains a major problem. During the election period Transparency International Bulgaria’s helpline rings off the hook. In 2014 alone, Transparency International Bulgaria received 202 election-related complaints. Vote-buying is one of the top three corruption complaints received during elections, and each political party has reportedly been involved in similar schemes. The complaints received show that vote-buying tends to happen more in rural areas, where people are often more impoverished and less educated than in urban areas. The voters targeted are more susceptible to this “short-term benefit” because they need the money. While vote-buying and electoral fraud are against the law in Bulgaria, many of the charges are dropped in court. As a result, political parties can see that they may be able to get away with it. The fact that the overwhelming majority of Bulgarians believe their political parties and judiciary are corrupt ([76 and 86 per cent](http://www.transparency.org/gcb2013/country/?country=bulgaria) respectively) illustrates the scale of the problem. ### Speaking up for clean elections Ordinary people can make a difference. If people report suspicions of wrongdoing – such as the brave citizen who alerted us about this scheme – more investigations can take place. More investigations will ultimately lead to more court verdicts that fine and punish those guilty of electoral fraud. Reporting vote-buying and electoral fraud will send a clear message: Bulgarians want clean and fair elections. *Have you witnessed corruption or wrongdoing? If so,* [*contact*](http://www.transparency.org/getinvolved/report) *your local anti-corruption advice centre.* ## Countries - [Bulgaria](https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/bulgaria) For any press inquiries please contact ### You might also like... ## [Anti-corruption gaps are leaving democracy in Europe exposed](https://www.transparency.org/en/news/anti-corruption-gaps-leaving-democracy-europe-exposed) News • 15 September 2026 Too many European countries are failing to effectively implement and enforce their anti-corruption laws, while several are rapidly backsliding. ## [CPI 2024 for Western Europe & EU: Leaders’ hollow efforts cause worsening corruption levels](https://www.transparency.org/en/news/cpi-2024-western-europe-eu-leaders-hollow-efforts-cause-worsening-corruption-levels) News • 11 February 2025 In fragile times, Europe's ability to combat corruption is falling short, hindering the bloc’s response to challenges that range from the climate crisis to fraying rule of law and… ## [CPI 2023 for Western Europe & EU: Rule of law and political integrity threats undermine action against corruption](https://www.transparency.org/en/news/cpi-2023-west-europe-european-union-rule-of-law-political-integrity-threats-undermine-action-against-corruption) News • 30 January 2024 Leaders are losing public trust as they undermine limits on their power and act without integrity. ## [CPI 2022 for Western Europe & EU: Undue influence and fragmented anti-corruption measures hurt progress](https://www.transparency.org/en/news/cpi-2022-western-europe-eu-corruption-undue-influence-hurt-progress) News • 31 January 2023 While once again the top-scoring region in the CPI, anti-corruption efforts have stalled in most countries for more than a decade.