On Sunday, 25 October, voting began in Bulgaria’s presidential election. Polling stations opened at 7:00. This is reported by The Sofia Globe.
This year’s election will determine the head of state for the next five years. The new president will take office in January 2027.
Twenty-seven candidates are running for president – the highest number since direct presidential elections were introduced in Bulgaria.
To win in the first round, a candidate must secure more than 50% of valid votes, provided that turnout exceeds 50%. If none of the candidates wins, a second round will be held on 1 November between the two candidates who received the most support.
According to the Central Election Commission as of 22 October, about 6.59 million Bulgarian citizens are eligible to vote. Among them are 46,001 voters who will be voting for the first time.
At polling stations with more than 300 registered voters, electronic voting machines will be used. In total, they will be installed at 9,373 polling stations across the country, with two machines operating at 2,249 of them. Overall, 11,622 devices are planned to be deployed.
Abroad, 613 polling stations will open in 60 countries. At 242 of them, it will be possible to vote using electronic machines. For the first time, such devices will be used in Warsaw, Bucharest, Bratislava, Budapest and Helsinki.
Voting will continue until 20:00. If queues remain at polling stations by that time, it may be extended, but no later than 21:00. These rules will also apply at overseas polling stations in local time.