In brief
Bulgaria’s presidential candidate Iliana Iotova and running mate Kiril Valchev were declared winners after ballot counting by five agencies, according to BTA. The pair thanked voters in a post‑election statement and praised the positive campaign while Prime Minister Rumen Radev welcomed the historic result. Turnout was higher overseas and exit polls varied.
Iliana Iotova and vice‑president candidate Kiril Valchev have officially secured Bulgaria’s presidential election, according to the parallel counting of ballots reported by the state news agency BTA on 1 November 2026.
In a statement issued after the polls closed, Iotova thanked voters and said:
“Their vote means a lot, because we will listen to what they have told us. We ran a positive campaign. I cannot explain who misled Mr Andrey Gurov into waging this attack campaign against our presidential ticket.”
Valchev echoed her thanks, adding:
“Twice as many voters supported Bulgaria having its first woman president.”
Prime Minister Rumen Radev commented on the outcome: “Today, the Bulgarian people have chosen the future over the past, peace, stability, normality, and a sustainable and clear outlook.”
BTA reported that turnout among Bulgarian voters in North Macedonia and Romania rose sharply for the runoff, with 491 ballots cast in Skopje and 327 in Bucharest—both exceeding first‑round figures and marking the highest foreign turnout since 2022.
The parallel counting conducted by five agencies—Myara, Gallup International Balkan, Trend, Alpha Research, and Market Links—showed Iotova and Valchev leading nationwide, but with differing percentages: Trend 58.1 % to 38.9 %, Market Links 40.6 % to 56.5 %, Alpha Research 57.4 % to 39.6 %, Myara 58.2 % to 38.6 %, and Gallup 56.1 % to 39.1 %.
