In brief
BTA’s two reports show Progressive Bulgaria MPs lauding voter participation and predicting the run‑off result while a separate BTA article presents exit‑poll figures that confirm Iliana Iotova’s lead. The primer highlights a near 10‑percent rise in turnout and the campaign’s role in mobilizing voters, and it outlines the polling agencies’ findings.
On Sunday, November 1, 2026, a presidential runoff in Sofia produced a record turnout and a clear lead for Iliana Iotova, whose campaign has drawn full support from Progressive Bulgaria (PB). PB floor leader Petar Vitanov praised voters amid heavy rain and called the outcome a natural consequence of a "negative campaign marked by compromising material", while MP Dimitar Zdravkov said the result was expected. Meanwhile, another BTA report focused on exit‑poll figures that showed Iotova/Valchev carrying a roughly 51‑percent share, a margin one percentage point higher than the first round.
PB’s perspective on turnout and legitimacy
According to a BTA report dated 1 November 2026, PB Floor Leader Petar Vitanov thanked citizens for their participation in the runoff while weather conditions and a "negative campaign" were noted as obstacles. He said the turnout had "increased by nearly one third, calling the rise unprecedented," and he noted that in Bulgarian democratic history, this was the second time the second round exceeded the first in voter participation, now by almost 10 %.
Petar Vitanov added that the campaign succeeded in mobilizing voters and that the new president was fully legitimate. He also warned that after the vote, the country would become "more stable and calmer." Dimitar Zdravkov, another PB MP, echoed the optimism, stating that “the trend we are seeing is logical and reflects public expectations” and that the run‑off result was expected. He called for higher quality candidates from rival alliances in the next presidential contest and clarified that a presidential election is separate from parliamentary elections.
BTA’s exit‑poll account of the run‑off results
Midnight BTA coverage of exit polls released after the Sunday vote reported that Iliana Iotova and her running mate Kiril Valchev dominated the first exit‑poll results. Five agencies—Trend, Gallup, Alpha Research, Market Links and Myara—all confirmed a lead for the Iotova/Valchev ticket of approximately 51.6 % to 50.7 %. Their rivals, Andrey Gurov and Georgi Kandev, remained in second place with percentages ranging from 43.4 % to 44.7 %.
Exit‑polls from individual agencies reflected similar patterns. Gallup International recorded 51 % for Iotova/Valchev, whereas Trend and Alpha Research recorded 51.6 % and 52.5 % respectively. Market Links listed 50.7 % for the Iotova/Valchev ticket, while Myara released 51 %. The aggregate data, all reported in BTA’s November 1 coverage, pointed to a comfortable, though not overwhelming, margin for the Iotova/Valchev ticket over the Gurov/Kandev pair.
The convergence of BTA’s two accounts—PB’s emphasis on turnout and legitimacy and the exit‑polls’ numerical confirmation—provides a comprehensive view of the runoff. While PB’s leadership frames the election as a triumph of democratic engagement and campaign effectiveness, the poll data validates the predictive narrative and quantifies the margin by which Iotova’s ticket has secured a decisive advantage in a high‑participation voter environment.
