Bulgarians chose their next head of state on Sunday, but the low numbers trickling into polling stations suggest the real decision will come a week later. By 4 p.m. local time only 18.5 per cent of voters had cast a ballot, according to pollster Alpha Research, a noticeably weaker showing than in the last presidential race in 2021.
That matters because of an unusual rule. An outright first-round victory requires two things at once: a majority of valid ballots for one ticket, and participation by over 50 per cent of the electorate of about 6.6 million. Forecasts put final turnout below 40 per cent, which would trigger a runoff between the top two pairs on 1 November.
A record 27 tickets are on the ballot, yet the contest is essentially a two-horse race. Incumbent Iliana Yotova, 62, a former journalist and MEP, inherited the job in January when Rumen Radev quit to run for parliament. Radev is now prime minister and his Progressive Bulgaria party backs her. She argues for talks with Russia rather than arming Kyiv, and surveys put her roughly in the 40 to 47 per cent range. Victory would give Bulgaria its first female head of state chosen by voters.
Her chief challenger is Andrey Gyurov, an economist and ex-deputy head of the central bank who served as caretaker prime minister early this year and signed a security pact with Kyiv. Backed by the pro-Western opposition, he polls at around 30 per cent, but some analysts think he could gather second-round support from eliminated candidates.
The campaign was dominated by rising prices, energy bills and drone attacks on merchant ships off the Black Sea coast. The presidency is largely ceremonial, but it carries a veto and command of the armed forces. First projections follow once voting ends at 20:00 Sofia time; an initial count is expected only on Monday.
