Story perspectives

Iotova and Gyurov headed to Nov. 1 runoff

By Drooid · Oct 26, 2026, 10:24 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Iotova vs Gyurov Runoff

Incumbent President Iliana Iotova and former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov will face a runoff on November 1.
Iotova received 34.6% of votes with 95% of ballots counted.
Gyurov earned 32% of votes with the same 95% count.
Iotova opposes military aid to Ukraine while Gyurov supports stronger backing for Kyiv.
If elected, Iotova would become Bulgaria’s first directly elected female president.

Summary

Commission Publishes Results

The Central Election Commission must publish official results by October 27, three days after the October 25 vote.
Approximately 6.59 million Bulgarians are eligible to vote, including 46,001 first-time voters.
Polling stations opened at 7 am, closed at 8 pm, with possible extensions until 9 pm.
Voting occurred inside Bulgaria and at designated polling stations abroad.
The commission supplied electronic voting machines and paper ballots at thousands of locations.

History

Historical Context

Bulgarian voters first chose a president directly on 27 October 1996, when Union of Democratic Forces candidate Petar Stoyanov defeated incumbent Zhelyu Zhelev with 59.7% in the runoff and sparked a shift toward NATO and EU integration. The November 1, 2026 runoff between former vice-president Iliana Iotova and Andrey Gyurov revives that precedent, pitting opposing Ukraine-aid stances against each other.

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Iotova vs Gyurov Runoff

Incumbent President Iliana Iotova and former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov will face a runoff on November 1.
Iotova received 34.6% of votes with 95% of ballots counted.
Gyurov earned 32% of votes with the same 95% count.
Iotova opposes military aid to Ukraine while Gyurov supports stronger backing for Kyiv.
If elected, Iotova would become Bulgaria’s first directly elected female president.

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