Bulgaria presidential election heads to Nov. 1 runoff

Bulgaria’s presidential election is headed for a Nov. 1 runoff between incumbent Iliana Yotova and former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, according to exit-poll estimates released after voting on Oct. 25. Neither ticket was projected to meet the first-round requirements for victory, and official results were still pending. The estimates differed on which candidate led. Myara put Yotova at 35.6% and Gyurov at 32.5%, while Alpha Research estimated 35.3% for Yotova and 32.4% for Gyurov. Market Links’ exit poll also placed Yotova ahead, at 32.2% to Gyurov’s 31.6%. A separate Market Links parallel count reported Gyurov at 33.5% and Yotova at 32.7%. Alpha Research’s parallel estimate gave Yotova 34.6% and Gyurov 32.7%. The competing estimates leave the first-round order unsettled, but both candidates were below the threshold for an outright win. The Central Election Commission said it would announce official results and identify the runoff candidates within 48 hours of election day. Under Bulgaria’s rules, a candidate must receive more than half of valid votes, with turnout exceeding 50%, to win in the first round. The commission’s spokesperson, Stoyanka Balova, said 16.04%...