Voters in Bulgaria are electing delegates to the European Parliament, with the ruling Socialists expected to prevail despite a corruption scandal implicating top government officials.
Pre-election surveys showed the Socialists capturing as many as seven of Bulgaria's 18 seats in the 785-member EU assembly. Two other parties in Sofia's coalition government were seen winning five or six seats.
The Socialists' main challenger, the center-right GERB Party, is expected to take four or five seats. Bulgaria joined the European trade bloc in January.
Pollsters were expecting a low voter turnout, with pre-election surveys showing domestic concerns outweighing voter interest in European affairs.
Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev has dismissed two deputy cabinet ministers, and the economy minister and the government's top investigator have taken leave pending the outcome of the latest corruption probe. Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
