Bulgaria’s runoff presidential election kicked off across Europe at 6:00 a.m. local time, with overseas polling stations opening on schedule and no immediate disruptions reported.
This second round arrives after an inconclusive first vote, pushing the contest into a decisive phase for the presidency and vice presidency. Meanwhile, election officials have mobilized extensive infrastructure abroad to accommodate the diaspora.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed smooth operations so far. Voting began earliest in the United Kingdom, Iceland, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain’s Canary Islands. Those locations opened their doors by 9:00 a.m. Bulgarian time.
The United Kingdom hosts the most polling stations at 82, followed by Turkey with 78, Germany with 70, and Spain with 67. A full directory of addresses appears on the Foreign Ministry’s website under the section for the October 25, 2026 election.
Bulgarian citizens can also cast ballots in countries lacking diplomatic or consular missions. Iceland, Malta, and Luxembourg each provide voting access despite the absence of official Bulgarian representation there.
As a result, the ministry and its overseas missions have outfitted every European polling location with the necessary equipment. Election day has proceeded without incident up to this point, according to official statements.
Separately, Central Election Commission spokesperson Stoyanka Balova reported that all polling stations within Bulgaria opened successfully. Roughly 6.59 million citizens hold voting rights in this election.
Turnout patterns in the diaspora could prove decisive, given the narrow margins that typically characterize runoff contests in Bulgaria. Officials continue monitoring polling sites across multiple time zones as the day advances.
