In brief
The runoff will decide the holder of the five‑year presidential term, with the incumbent Iotova backed by Progressive Bulgaria and Bulgarian Socialist Party facing Gurov’s We Continue the Change coalition. Exit polls will be released at 8:00 p.m., while official results are expected by Wednesday.
On Sunday, November 1, voters across Bulgaria went to the polls to decide between incumbent President Iliana Iotova and challenger Andrey Gurov in the country’s second‑round presidential contest. The runoff, following the first round on October 25, was scheduled to determine the new five‑year term for the country’s head of state.
Runoff Overview
In the first round, Iotova’s ticket captured 34.76 % of the vote, while Gurov’s pair obtained 31.95 %. The results placed Iotova and Valchev in the top spot, with Gurov and Kandev falling just behind as the finalist pair, according to exit‑poll estimates released by Xinhua.
President Iotova, 62, has been active in Bulgarian politics since 2000, serving on the Bulgarian Socialist Party’s National Council, in the National Assembly, and as a member of the European Parliament. She first became vice‑president in 2016 and was reelected in 2021, before succeeding President Rumen Radev after his resignation in January 2026.
Gurov, an adjunct professor of finance at the American University in Bulgaria, has spent much of his political career in ministerial and legislative roles. He briefly led the country as caretaker prime minister for 78 days early this year and has headed the parliamentary group of We Continue the Change in two separate legislatures between December 2021 and February 2023.
Alongside Iotova, Iliana’s vice‑presidential partner is Kiril Valchev, director general of the Bulgarian News Agency. Gurov’s running mate is former police officer Georgi Kandev, who served as acting secretary general at the Ministry of Interior for several months this year.
The Iotova–Valchev duo is endorsed by the ruling Progressive Bulgaria party and the Bulgarian Socialist Party, while the Gurov–Kandev ticket is supported by the coalition of We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria.
Exit polls for the runoff are slated to be released at 8:00 p.m. local time, following the closing of polling stations. Xinhua reports that the first such poll will come out overnight, as voters begin to count ballots on Sunday.
Officials are expected to confirm the final outcome by Wednesday, according to the announcement. The results will determine who occupies the five‑year presidential term that ends in January 2027, when Iotova’s current mandate will expire.
The 2026 election cycle has drawn attention to Bulgaria’s ability to hold a direct, popular vote for the head of state, underscoring the country’s commitment to democratic governance amid a shifting political landscape.
With nearly 6.6 million eligible voters, the runoff marks a pivotal moment for Bulgaria, as citizens weigh the continuity offered by the incumbent against the prospect of change represented by the challenger.
