In brief
On November 1, 2026, Bulgarian voters in the preserve had a turnout about 10% higher than the first round, and exit polls indicated that incumbent President Iliana Iotova won with roughly 51% of the vote; Progressive Bulgaria MPs praised the turnout, hailed the legitimacy of the president, and called the result expected.
In Sofia on November 1, 2026, Bulgaria’s presidential runoff drew a noticeably larger pool of voters than the first round, according to Progressive Bulgaria (PB) MPs who celebrated the higher turnout and the perceived legitimacy of the presiding office.
Progressive Bulgaria Floor Leader Petar Vitanov thanked voters for coming to the polls despite adverse weather and a campaign he described as “negative” and misleading. At the Iotova‑Kiril Valchev campaign headquarters, he told a gathering that Bulgaria would grow more stable after Monday’s certification of the result. “Bulgaria will be more stable and calmer after Monday,” Vitanov said.
He added that turnout had risen by almost one‑third, a jump he called unprecedented, saying only twice in the country’s democratic past had the second round out‑did the first in voter participation. He considered the new president elected in the runoff fully legitimate because the data reflected a strong electorate engagement.
MP Dimitar Zdravkov echoed Vitanov’s sentiment, calling the runoff result a logical “trend” that matched public expectation. He hoped that the rival political alliance would field better candidates for the next presidential contest. “The trend we are seeing is logical and reflects public expectations,” Zdravkov told reporters in Sofia.
Exit‑poll numbers released by five agencies, including Trend, Gallup, Alpha Research, Market Links, and Myara, converged on a 51–52% lead for the Iotova‑Valchev ticket. The Gallup International poll at 7:30 p.m. reported 51 % for Iotova versus 44 % for Andrey Gurov and Georgi Kandev. Trend’s 7 p.m. poll found 51.6% for Iotova, while Alpha Research saw 52.5%. Market Links and Myara recorded 50.7% and 51% respectively (Myara’s 8 p.m. poll had 51% for Iotova versus 44.7% for Gurov).
The consistent margins across polling firms have been described by observers as a clear advantage for the incumbent, pushing her firmly past the 50 % threshold needed to win the presidency. The rival’s running mate, former prime minister Georgi Kandev, trailed by roughly seven percentage points in most exit polls.
Statistical data from earlier Bulgarian elections illustrate the magnitude of the turnout uptick. While the 2014 presidential runoff, a year after the events reported here, recorded a turnout of about 26.8% (up from 22.98% in the first round), the recent 2026 turnout is said to have risen by a close figure, roughly 10% higher than the earlier round, according to the PB leadership. No serious irregularities were reported by election officials, giving the pollsters a clean environment to measure voter preferences.
The election, fixed for November 1 after a September run‑off, concludes a campaign that had seen initially low engagement but a surge in the second round. As the day wore on, polling stations saw increased footfall, with many voters overcoming inclement weather to cast their ballots.
Both PB figures and exit‑poll data project a transition toward a new presidential office, with the outgoing administration poised to welcome Iliana Iotova’s return. The political climate is now marked by clearer expectations for future contests, as the Progressive Bulgaria representatives hint at the need for rival parties to field stronger candidates.
