IFES
 

Oct. 25, 2026 Confirmed

Bulgaria
Republic of Bulgaria
Election for Bulgarian Presidency

Results



General Information

At Stake in this Election:  

  • The Presidency of Bulgaria.   

 

Government Structure:  

  • Chief of State: Illiana IOTOVA (since 23 January 2026)  

  • Head of Government: Rumen RADEV (since 08 May 2026) 

  • Assembly: unicameral, 240-seat National Assembly  

 

Electoral System:  

  • The President is directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in up to two rounds. The president may serve up to two 5-year terms.  

  • The Prime Minister is elected by the National Assembly.  

  • Members of the National Assembly are directly elected by proportional representation vote in multi-seat constituencies. Parties and coalitions must earn at least 4% of the overall vote to receive a seat. Members serve 4-year terms. 

 

Last Election:  

The last presidential election was held on November 14, 2021, and a second-round run-off was subsequently held on November 21, 2021, after no candidates received 50% or more of the vote. Rumen Radev won 66.72% of the vote in the second round to win the presidency. 

In January 2026, Radev resigned as president, and Vice President Illiana Iotova then ascended to the presidency. In the subsequent April 2026 parliamentary election, Radev’s party Progressive Bulgaria won an absolute majority of seats. Radev was elected Prime Minister by the National Assembly in May 2026. 

 

Information for Voters: 

ИЗБОРИ ЗА ПРЕЗИДЕНТ И ВИЦЕПРЕЗИДЕНТ 25 ОКТОМВРИ 2026, ЧЕСТО ЗАДАВАНИ ВЪПРОСИ/Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections October 25, 2026 Frequently Asked Questions (in Bulgarian) 

 

Key Deadlines:  

  • Registration of parties and coalitions deadline: September 9, 2026* 

  • Candidate filing deadline: September 22, 2026* 

  • Voter registration deadline: n/a; voter registration is passive ** 

*Deadlines are available in the Central Election Commission's ' Хронограма' or ‘Chronogram,’ available for download in word format. 

**See the Bulgarian Electoral Code, available on the Central Election Commission website for download in word format. 

 

Main Candidates in this Election: 

  • Candidate Name: Georgi Nikolov Dimov* 

  • Candidate Name: Rosen Plamenov Milenov* 

  • Candidate Name: Ivanka Velikova Tsvetanova–Petkova* 

  • Candidate Name: Andrey Atanasov Gyurov * 

  • Candidate Name: Yordan Ivanov Maldzhanski* 

  • Candidate Name: Kamen Zahariev Taskov* 

  • Candidate Name: Nako Raynov Stefanov* 

  • Candidate Name: Metodi Veselinov Bachvarov* 

  • Candidate Name: Ivaylo Petrov Simeonov* 

  • Candidate name: Maria Petrova Koleva  

    • Party: Pravoto (Bulgarian: Правото) 

  • Candidate Name: Kostadin Todorov Kostadinov  

    • Party: Revival (Bulgarian: Възраждане) 

  • Candidate Name: Aleksander Trifonov Tomov  

    • Party: Bulgarian Social Democracy – Euroleft (BSDE) (Bulgarian: Българска социалдемокрация – Евролевица) 

  • Candidate Name: Boris Kirilov Anzov* 

  • Candidate Name: Rumyana Metodieva Chenalova* 

  • Candidate Name: Lachezar Asparuhov Avramov* 

  • Candidate Name: Ivo Ivanov Lulchev* 

  • Candidate Name: Radostin Petev Vassilev (MECH) 

    • Party: Morality, Union, Honor (MECh) (Bulgarian: Морал, Единство, Чест) 

  • Candidate Name: Ivan Markos Hristanov* 

  • Candidate Name: Ivelin Lyudmilov Mihaylov 

    • Party: Veliche (Bulgarian: Величие) 

  • Candidate Name: Velichka Nedelchova Georgieva* 

  • Candidate Name: Volen Nikolov Siderov * 

  • Candidate Name: Nikolay Nankov Nenchev  

    • Party: Bulgarian Agrarian National Union (BZNS) (Bulgarian: Български земеделски народен съюз) 

  • Candidate Name: Iskra Yordanova Nedeva* 

  • Candidate Name: Plamen Panayotov Paskov* 

  • Candidate Name: Illiyana Malinova Yotova (incumbent) * 

  • Candidate Name: Boyan Boyanov Stankov Rasate* 

  • Candidate Name: Ventsislav Atanasov Angelov  

    • Party: The People’s Party Truth and Only Truth (Bulgarian: Народна партия „Истината и само истината) 

*Candidate nominations emerged from initiative committees 

 

Country Context: 

 

Gender Data: 

  • Gender Quota: n/a 

  • Female Candidates in this election: Yes 

 

Disability Data: 

  • CRPD Status: Signed 27 September 2007, Ratified 22 March 2012 

  • Projected population with a disability: 1,029,329 (2025 est.) 

 

IFES Resources: 

Election Modified: Oct 06, 2026

Most Recent Elections in Bulgaria

With Participation Rates