In brief
The Bulgarian presidential election, having remained inconclusive after the first round, will culminate in a runoff contesting the presidency between the Andrey Gurov–Georgi Kandev ticket and the Iliana Iotova–Kiril Valchev ticket. The Central Election Commission has introduced machine voting across 9,373 polling stations and a digital application to facilitate voter information and real‑time results. The outcome will be announced within three days of the runoff.
According to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), voters in Bulgaria will elect their seventh president on Sunday, November 1, 2026, after a first‑round election held on October 25 failed to secure a majority for any of the 27 presidential and vice‑presidential candidate tickets.
In the initial contest, the Iotova‑Valchev ticket of Iliana Iotova and Kiril Valchev captured 34.759% of the vote, while the Gurov‑Kandev pairing of Andrey Gurov and Georgi Kandev came a close second with 31.952%. Because no ticket surpassed the required threshold, the country will hold a runoff between the top two tickets, as mandated by the electoral law.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) has announced that polling stations will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on the runoff day, with provisions for voting to continue until 9 p.m. for voters still waiting to cast their ballots. The same schedule applies to overseas polling stations, with local times adjusted accordingly.
This election will feature an extensive use of machine voting: 9,373 polling stations across Bulgaria will be equipped with voting machines, including a double‑machine setup at 2,249 of those sites. In total, 11,622 voting machines will be deployed. The National Assembly, in a decision made on July 30, 2026, has introduced exclusive machine‑based voting in stations that have more than 300 registered voters, a move aimed at streamlining the voting process and reducing errors.
To aid voters, the CEC has launched the Elections 360° application. The app provides comprehensive information on the electoral process and a full list of presidential and vice‑presidential candidates. It also features an interactive map of polling stations, a machine‑voting simulator that allows users to practice the voting procedure, and a tool for checking polling station addresses via the electronic services of the Directorate General for Civil Registration and Administrative Services (GRAO). Voters may also submit reports directly to the CEC by e‑mail through the app.
The application offers a real‑time view of election‑day activities through the evideo.bg portal, and an electronic section where election commissions publish protocols. These documents record paper‑ballot results, machine‑voting outcomes, and verification counts for each polling station, including those overseas.
Parliament has also repealed the limit of 20 polling stations outside diplomatic and consular missions in non‑European Union countries, allowing Bulgarians living abroad to vote at additional locations. For voters with visual impairments or mobility difficulties, designated accessible polling stations—generally located on ground floors—will be available, and voters can choose a suitable site that meets their needs.
All these measures aim to increase voter participation and electoral transparency. BTA reported that after the top two tickets were announced, the CEC made available a set of electronic tools that will be functional throughout the runoff, ensuring voters can confirm the authenticity of their chosen ballot in real time.
Once votes are counted, the CEC will announce the final results within three days, according to the procedures set out in the electoral law. The identified winner will assume office in the coming months, formally becoming Bulgaria’s seventh president.
