Bulgarians cast ballots in presidential runoff with low turnout

Bulgarian voters went to the polls on Sunday to decide the next head of state, a contest shaped by drone attacks on Black Sea shipping and domestic economic strain. The election pits acting President Iliana Yotova against Andrey Gyurov, a former interim prime minister.

Election officials reported that only 23% of eligible voters participated in the first round on October 25, marking a record low turnout. In that initial vote, Yotova defeated Gyurov by a margin of 2.8 percentage points.

Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 8 p.m. Sunday. Exit poll results are expected immediately after closing, with official figures to be released on Monday.

Yotova serves as an independent candidate after assuming the role of acting president earlier this year. She became acting leader when Rumen Radev resigned as head of state to lead his Moscow-friendly Progressive Bulgaria party in the general election. That party has endorsed Yotova, making this vote the first major test for the ruling group.

Yotova has advocated for a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine. During a television debate this week, she stated that "peace could come only through negotiations." She proposed a security meeting involving all six Black Sea countries to sign a moratorium on hostilities. Both she and Radev have called for a diplomatic end to the conflict but have avoided specifying Russian involvement in recent drone attacks.

Gyurov, an economist and former deputy governor of the central bank, is backed by the pro-Western reformist opposition. He led the country as caretaker prime minister in early 2026. During his tenure, he signed a security cooperation agreement with Kyiv. He criticized the government for hesitating to identify Russia as the aggressor in the war and called for Bulgaria to participate in EU decisions from the start.

Gyurov argued that Bulgaria must be a reliable NATO ally capable of standing up for its interests. He noted, "When you have no position and are not at the table, you are in fact on the menu." Observers indicated that a Yotova victory would keep the presidency aligned with the ruling majority, potentially limiting checks and balances on policy decisions.