In brief
In a tightly contested first round, the Iotova‑Valchev ticket narrowly pulled ahead of Gurov‑Kandev, forcing a runoff slated for Sunday, 01 November 2026. Voters will cast ballots through a nationwide network of voting machines and a digital platform that offers election guidance, accessibility services, and real‑time results. The election underscores a renewed focus on transparent, technology‑driven processes and expanded access for voters with disabilities.
On 25 October, Bulgarian voters went to the polls in a bid to elect a seventh president, but no ticket crossed the threshold needed for an outright victory. The first round saw the Iliana Iotova–Kiril Valchev team earn 34.759% of the vote, while the Andrey Gurov–Georgi Kandev coalition trailed with 31.952%, creating a runoff scheduled for the following Sunday, 01 November 2026.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) set a timetable that opens polling stations at 7 a.m. and closes them at 8 p.m.; however, voting may continue until 9 p.m. if voters remain at the booths. The same schedule applies to international polling locations, where Bulgarian citizens abroad can also participate.
In a move designed to streamline the electoral process, the National Assembly approved the use of exclusively machine‑based voting at polling stations that have more than 300 registered voters. Across the country, 9,373 voting stations will host machines, with 2,249 of those stations equipped with dual machines, bringing the total count to 11,622 voting devices.
Technology will play a central role in the runoff. The CEC’s Elections 360° application provides voters with up‑to‑date information about the election, a full list of presidential and vice‑presidential candidates, an interactive map that shows polling station locations, and a machine‑voting simulator that lets users practice the process before heading to the booth.
Voters will be able to confirm the address of their polling station via electronic services provided by the Directorate General for Civil Registration and Administrative Services (GRAO). They can also submit reports directly to the CEC by email within the app, ensuring that any issues are documented and addressed in real time.
The Elections 360° app includes a feature that lets users view the results from individual section election commissions, both domestically and abroad, in their own geographical area. During the day, election‑day activities can be monitored on the evideo.bg portal, which streams live footage from polling stations and publishes electronic versions of protocols that record paper‑ballot results, machine‑voting outcomes, and verification counts.
Access for all citizens, particularly those with disabilities, has been a top priority. The election law now permits voters with visual impairments or mobility difficulties to cast their ballots at designated accessible polling stations, which are usually located on the ground floors of buildings. By giving these voters the choice of a convenient station, the government has aimed to eliminate barriers and ensure that every vote can be cast in a manner that respects the needs of all Bulgarians.
Finally, Parliament repealed the previous limit that allowed only 20 polling stations outside diplomatic and consular missions in countries outside the European Union. This change expands the reach of the democratic process for Bulgarian citizens living abroad and signals an effort to treat distant voters with the same respect and accessibility afforded to those inside the country.
