Bulgaria Presidential Election: Early Results and Voter Turnout Details

In brief

• The first round of the Bulgarian presidential election saw Iliana Yotova and Andrey Gyurov as the main contenders, with exit polls showing Yotova leading at 35.3 percent at 19:00 .
• Voter turnout reached 15.95 percent by 16:00, significantly lower than the 24.12 percent seen in the 2021 election [,].
• Over 200 complaints regarding election irregularities were filed with the Interior Ministry, with vote buying being the most common issue .
• A second round of voting is scheduled for November 1 if no candidate achieves a majority in the first round .

Early Results and Exit Poll Trends

An exit poll conducted by Alpha Research, which Bulgarian National Television cited, showed that at 19:00 local time, Iliana Yotova secured 35.3 percent of the vote (Екзитпол: на виборах у Болгарії попередньо лідирує прихильниця РФ, є шанс на зміну – Європейська правда). Andrey Gyurov, the former prime minister who supported Ukraine, obtained 32.4 percent. Konstantin Kostadinov, who leads the far-right Revival party, received 12.6 percent. Data from the same poll indicated that earlier in the day, Yotova had 35.9 percent of the vote, while Gyurov registered 30.8 percent, meaning the difference between the two leading figures decreased during the afternoon.

Voter Participation and Operational Issues

By 16:00, the Central Election Commission reported that voter turnout reached 15.95 percent, with over one million ballots cast out of approximately six million registered voters (У Болгарії на виборах проголосували вже понад мільйон виборців – Українська правда). This participation level was lower than the 24.12 percent recorded at the same time during the 2021 presidential election (У Болгарії явка на президентських виборах значно нижча, ніж у 2021 році – Європейська правда). The lowest voter engagement was observed in the Kardzhali constituency, which recorded 6.77 percent, whereas Sofia's 23rd district showed 25.9 percent participation. The commission also stated that 23 voting machines malfunctioned by 16:00, requiring polling stations to switch to paper ballots. Election officials are scheduled to submit protocols to the district commissions by Tuesday, October 27, when the national outcome is anticipated.

Allegations of Irregularities

Bulgaria's Interior Ministry received over 200 complaints concerning procedural violations during the first round of the presidential election (У Болгарії отримали понад 200 заяв про порушення під час виборів – Європейська правда). These complaints included 165 instances related to vote buying, 12 concerning illegal campaigning, and one regarding voting by legal entities. No arrests were made, and no administrative violation protocols were issued on that day. Separately, a polling station chief was removed from his duties following reports that he consumed alcohol and brought it to the station.

Political Context and Background

Yotova has held the position of vice president since 2017 and maintains close political ties with Rumen Radev, who stepped down as president in January 2026 to contest parliamentary elections that led to his ascendancy (У Болгарії проходить перший тур виборів президента – Українська правда). Gyurov, who possesses an economics background, signed a security pact between Bulgaria and Ukraine during his brief tenure as prime minister. Reuters reported that the election occurred amidst drone strikes targeting merchant vessels near the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of about twenty sailors (У Болгарії відбуваються президентські вибори: хто фаворити – Espreso). Should no candidate secure a majority, a second round is set for November 1 (Bulharsko si volí hlavu státu. Největším konkurentem současné prezidentky Jotovové je premiér Gjurov – iROZHLAS).

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