Bulgaria votes in presidential runoff as Iotova faces Gyurov
Bulgarians head to the polls on Sunday, 1 November, to choose their next president in a runoff between President Iliana Iotova and former caretaker prime minister Andrey Gyurov.
Neither candidate won outright in the first round on Sunday, 25 October. Iotova led with 34.76% of the vote, while Gyurov followed with 31.95%, according to figures from the Central Election Commission. To win in the first round, a candidate needed more than half of the valid votes, and more than half of all eligible voters had to take part. Neither condition was met.
Turnout was only about 22%, a record low, in a race with 27 pairs of candidates for president and vice-president. Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of the Vazrazhdane party, came third with 12.54% of the vote.
Polling stations were due to open at 7am and close at 8pm local time. Campaigning ended at midnight on 30 October, with 31 October set aside as a day of reflection. Iotova and Gyurov met in their only debate of the runoff campaign on 29 October, broadcast live by Bulgarian National Television.
Why it matters
Iotova, 61, took over as president in January after Rumen Radev resigned to enter parliamentary politics. A win would make her Bulgaria’s first elected female president. She and Radev have both called for a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine.
Gyurov, 50, served as caretaker prime minister earlier this year and is backed by pro-Western, reformist parties. He has long expressed support for Ukraine and signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv while he was premier.
The vote also comes after a series of drone attacks on merchant ships off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast in October that likely killed about two dozen international seafarers, according to Reuters. Both candidates condemned the strikes, but they disagree on the wider war in Ukraine.
What happens next
In the runoff, the ticket with the most votes wins. The Central Election Commission must announce the final results within three days. The winner takes office when the current presidential term ends on 22 January 2027.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://kelofm.com/2026/10/26/bulgaria-heads-to-presidential-runoff-after-close-vote/ (Reuters, 26 October 2026)
- https://qazinform.com/news/no-winner-in-first-round-bulgaria-sets-presidential-runoff-for-nov-1-8d4dc1 (Qazinform, citing BTA, 26 October 2026)
- https://electiontracker.eu/bulgaria/2026 (Election Tracker, updated 31 October 2026)
