In Bulgaria, following the processing of 99.94% of precinct election commission protocols, the first round of the presidential election has concluded, identifying the two main frontrunners of the race. The decisive vote, in which two pairs of candidates will compete for the highest state offices, is scheduled for November 1 of this year. The current electoral campaign takes place against the backdrop of the early resignation of the previous head of state at the beginning of January.
Voting Results and Race Leaders
According to official data from the Central Election Commission of Bulgaria, announced as of 9:00 a.m. after processing almost all ballots, the pair of Iliana Yotova and Kiril Valchev is in the lead. They secured 34.76% of the votes cast by voters who participated in the election. Their closest competitors, Andrey Gyurov and Georgi Kandev, secured the support of 31.95% of citizens.
A total of 27 pairs of candidates for the positions of president and vice president participated in the first round. In addition, a separate category of voters was recorded: 4.426% of citizens exercised their right to choose the "I do not support anyone" option, demonstrating a certain level of protest sentiment in society.
Constitutional Requirements and Runoff Procedure
According to the current Constitution of Bulgaria, victory in the first round is possible only if a candidate or a pair of candidates receives more than half of the votes cast by voters participating in the election, provided that overall turnout exceeds 50%. Since neither pair crossed this threshold, the legislation provides for a runoff election.
The repeat vote is organized within seven days after the official summing up of the results of the first stage. It involves exclusively those two pairs of candidates who showed the best results and gained the maximum number of voter votes. Citizens of the country will have to return to the polling stations on November 1 to make the final choice of leadership.
Background and Political Context of the Election
The current early presidential election in Bulgaria was the result of political changes that occurred at the beginning of the year. In January, former President Rumen Radev announced his early resignation after nearly nine years in power.
Following Radev's resignation, the acting duties of the head of state passed to current Vice President Iliana Yotova. Now voters must decide who will head the state on a permanent basis, forming a new political configuration of the highest executive power in the republic.
