In brief
On November 1, 2026, Bulgarian voters headed to the polls for a calm presidential runoff between incumbent President Iliana Iotova and challenger Andrey Gurov. The election, overseen by the Interior Ministry, reported 415 violation notices mainly for vote‑buying, but no major incidents. Official results are expected by Wednesday after exit polls are released at 8 p.m.
On Sunday, November 1, 2026, nearly 6.6 million Bulgarians went to the polls in the second round of the presidential election, as reported by Xinhua. The vote marked a pivotal moment for the country after a narrow first round in which the incumbent and challenger were separated by only a few percentage points.
Election Overview
The incumbent, Iliana Iotova, stood with Kiril Valchev as her vice‑presidential candidate, while the challenger, Andrey Gurov, ran with former police officer Georgi Kandev. Both pairs were backed by coalitions of established parties, with Iotova‑Valchev supported by Progressive Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Socialist Party, and Gurov‑Kandev supported by We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria. According to Xinhua, the tickets faced a closely contested jury of voters.
In the first round on October 25, Iotova‑Valchev received 34.76 percent of the popular vote, whereas Gurov‑Kandev garnered 31.95 percent. Xinhua noted that the five‑year presidential term would end in January 2027, prompting a decisive debate over the nation’s future leadership.
Both candidates presented distinct backgrounds: Iotova, 62, had served twice as vice‑president under President Rumen Radev and was a long‑time member of the Bulgarian Socialist Party’s National Council. In contrast, Gurov, an adjunct professor of finance at the American University in Bulgaria, had only recently chaired The We Continue the Change parliamentary group before assuming the role of caretaker prime minister for 78 days in 2026.
Xinhua reported that exit polls would be released at 8:00 p.m. (1800 GMT) immediately after the polls closed, with official results due no later than Wednesday. The precise figure for the final tally would determine whether the incumbent would continue her administration or whether the challenger would take step‑up to the presidency.
Law Enforcement Report
The Interior Ministry, citing its own preliminary review, declared that the runoff commenced peacefully across the country, in line with BTA’s report. According to the ministry, as of 8 a.m. on November 1, 415 reports of election‑legislation violations had been filed, mostly for vote‑buying. The BTA source added that these notifications were further confirmed in the official press release.
Of the 415 reports, 305 involved alleged vote‑buying, 34 related to unlawful campaigning, one cited corporate voting and 75 were classified as miscellaneous election‑related violations. Local authorities in Burgas, Vratsa and Stara Zagora recorded the highest number of complaints, with 97, 70 and 44 reports respectively.
The ministry also documented eight criminal proceedings initiated by regional directorates, a total of 1,822 warning notices, 346 specialized police operations and ten detentions carried out under the Interior Ministry Act. These figures represent an uptick from the 393 reports and 1,691 warnings logged the day before, according to the ministry’s previous bulletin.
Despite the number of reported violations, BTA underscored that no major incidents or systemic disruptions were reported at polling stations, indicating a largely orderly electoral process. The ministry’s statement highlighted that assistance was provided to regional and section election commissions in twelve cases to prevent potential issues among voters’ rights.
Overall, the presidential runoff today unfolded in a measured and secure environment, with observers noting that the surge in complaint filings did not translate into widespread electoral malpractice. The official results, expected by Wednesday, will now clarify whether Bulgaria’s electorate will stay with the experienced incumbent or choose a new direction under the challenger.
