In brief
On Sunday, Bulgaria will hold a runoff to elect its seventh president after the first round ended without a decisive victory. The leading tickets—Andrey Gurov–Georgi Kandev and Iliana Iotova–Kiril Valchev—will compete in a nationwide vote that will employ extensive machine voting and interactive digital tools. Parliament’s recent reforms, including exclusive machine voting for larger polling stations and a lifted limit on overseas polling sites, shape the election’s logistics.
Bulgaria’s citizens will elect their seventh president on Sunday, a runoff election that follows a first round in which none of the 27 presidential and vice‑presidential candidate tickets secured the majority required to win outright.
The country’s Central Election Commission (CEC) notified that the first round, held on October 25, left the leading Iotova‑Valchev ticket with 34.759% of the vote and the Gurov‑Kandev ticket just behind with 31.952%. With both parties falling short of the 50% threshold, the CEC and the rulebook called for a second, head‑to‑head contest between these two tickets.
Polling stations will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m., though voting may continue until 9 p.m. if voters are still below the polls, the CEC said. The same hour marking applies to abroad locations, according to the CEC’s election timetable, ensuring a uniform schedule for citizens around the world who hold Bulgarian passports.
Machine voting will be available at 9,373 polling stations across the country, with a total of 11,622 voting machines deployed. Two machines will accompany 2,249 out of those polling points, BTA reported. The sizeable use of electronic voting is part of a broader modernization effort noted by the Commission to streamline the process.
On July 30, 2026, Parliament approved a decision to make machine‑based voting mandatory at polling stations with more than 300 registered voters, a move that may reduce paper‑ballot errors and speed up result tabulation. The National Assembly’s resolution also repealed the old limit that restricted the number of polling stations to 20 outside diplomatic and consular missions in countries outside the European Union, thereby expanding access for Bulgarians living abroad.
The CEC’s Elections 360° application will play a pivotal role throughout the voting day. This digital tool provides voters with clear information about the electoral process, as well as a complete roster of presidential and vice‑presidential candidates. A built‑in interactive map displays all polling stations, and a machine‑voting simulator allows users to practice the procedure before they head to the polls.
Voters can also verify their polling station address using the electronic services of the Directorate General for Civil Registration and Administrative Services (GRAO) and submit reports directly to the CEC via email. The application gives users the ability to view results from individual section election commissions by geographical location, including those abroad, thus offering almost real‑time insight into how the vote is shifting.
Election‑day activities at polling stations can be followed in real time through the evideo.bg portal. The platform’s account of election commissions will publish electronic copies of protocols that record paper‑ballot results, machine‑voting results, and verification counts, BTA noted. The rapid dissemination of this information is expected to increase transparency and help debunk misunderstandings about the process.
Accessibility measures also feature in the day’s plans. Voters with visual impairments or mobility difficulties will be able to cast their ballots at designated accessible polling stations, generally located on the ground floors of buildings. Those voters can choose a suitable polling station, and visually impaired participants can request assistance, according to the CEC’s published guidelines.
While the ballot boxes remain open until 9 p.m. in many places, the CEC allows a maximum of 90 minutes for counting and preliminary announcements. The final official results for the second round will be declared within three days of the vote, as BTA highlighted, a timetable that aligns with previous election cycles in Bulgaria.
The upcoming runoff is seen as a crucial moment for Bulgaria’s political future, with the winner poised to take office and shape policy direction for the next four years. All parties are urging their supporters to turn out in large numbers, as the CEC’s timetable and the immediacy of the Election 360° application promise smooth participation on the day of the vote.
