‎"I have seen the greatest turnout here in the parliamentary elections on ‎April 4, 2021, when nearly 800 Bulgarians voted. Again, this is not a ‎particularly high turnout, given the number of Bulgarian emigrants in ‎Vegas - over 7 thousand, i.e. about 10%. With every next election, the ‎desire to vote decreases," says Ventsislav Georgiev, a member of the election ‎commission, which processes the documents in the Bulgarian bistro ‎where the election in Las Vegas took place, talking to Radio Bulgaria’s ‎collaborator across the ocean, Maria Samichkova.‎

‎"From the Bulgarian politicians, I expect a clear position of Bulgaria ‎regarding the conflict between Russia and the Western world. This is ‎clearly a clash between two value systems, and I would like to know ‎what the exact position will be on this issue, as Bulgaria may be involved ‎in a rather difficult situation regarding the war in Ukraine. 

On the other ‎hand, the fight against corruption is one of the biggest scourges ‎for Bulgarian economy and for the people who live in Bulgaria. We ‎don't feel it here, but when you go to the country, you always face these ‎problems," says our compatriot, who has lived far from his homeland for ‎nearly a quarter of a century. He admits that nostalgia is starting to grow ‎and dreams of being able to return.‎

Simeon Angelov has also been living in the USA for more than two ‎decades. His relatives are in Bulgaria and he votes every time with the ‎hope of changes, because "whichever party comes to power, the life ‎of the average Bulgarian does not change". Will he return to Bulgaria ‎one day?‎

‎"As the father of a family, I would say that if things change one day for ‎the Bulgarian people - yes", our compatriot categorically told Maria ‎Samichkova and Radio Bulgaria.‎

On the territory of the United States, voting was held in 56 polling ‎stations, and the Bulgarian ambassador, Georgi Panayotov, called on ‎the Bulgarians in America to action: "Democracy is based on voter ‎turnout, and I call on all Bulgarian citizens to exercise their right to vote, ‎because in this way their voice will matter. If they don't go vote, they ‎won't be heard." ‎

Compiled by Elena Karkalanova (based on a report by Maria Samichkova)

Photos: Maria Samichkova