EU
Bulgaria heads for presidential runoff: Iotova narrowly leads Gyurov on record-low turnout
Bulgarian exit polls give incumbent President Iliana Iotova 35–36.5% and Andrey Gyurov about 32%. Because of low turnout, the winner will be decided in a second round on Nov. 1.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 25, 2026, 21:15 · Updated 18:40 · 1 min read
In brief
- Trend agency: Iotova–Valchev 36.5%, Gyurov–Kandev 32.4%; Alpha Research: 35.2% to 32.4%.
- Turnout was estimated at about 20%, a record low according to Bloomberg, so a runoff will be held on Nov. 1.
- The gap is far smaller than the 13 to 18 points pre-election polls had forecast.
Bulgaria failed to elect a president in the first round. According to an exit poll by the Trend agency, reported by the state news agency BTA, incumbent President Iliana Iotova and her running mate Kiril Valchev won 36.5% of the vote, while Andrey Gyurov and Georgi Kandev took 32.4%. An Alpha Research exit poll, cited by Bloomberg, gives Iotova 35.2% and Gyurov 32.4%.
Gallup International also shows a tight race: 36.6% for Iotova and 31.8% for Gyurov, with Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of the Euroskeptic Vazrazhdane party, third on 15.7%. Radostin Vasilev has 3.2%, Ivelin Mihaylov 2.7% and Ivan Hristanov 2.6%.
Turnout forces a runoff
To win in the first round, a candidate needs more than half of the valid votes, provided turnout exceeds 50%. This time turnout was estimated at about 20%, the lowest ever recorded according to Bloomberg, so the top two candidates will face each other again next Sunday, Nov. 1. Final results will be announced by the Central Election Commission.
The result surprised analysts: polls in the final month of the campaign had predicted Iotova would lead by 13 to 18 percentage points.
Who is Iotova
Iotova served for nine years as vice president alongside Rumen Radev, who became prime minister in 2026. According to Bloomberg, Radev has criticized EU military aid to Ukraine and called for restoring relations with Russia, while Iotova holds a similar position and supports an immediate ceasefire. Gyurov is running as the opposition's pro-Western candidate. The presidency in Bulgaria is largely ceremonial.
