Runoff on Nov. 1: Bulgarians in Germany vote again – Gyurov leads abroad
Yotova and Gyurov face each other in Sunday's runoff. Among Bulgarians abroad, Gyurov clearly won the first round. The election commission is sending 280 new voting machines abroad.
Graphic: TERRA WORLD NEWS (own graphic based on the sources listed)
Bulgarians in Germany and elsewhere are called to vote again on Sunday, Nov. 1, when incumbent Iliana Yotova and Andrey Gyurov face each other in a presidential runoff. With all protocols processed, Yotova won 34.8% in the first round and Gyurov 32%, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) reported, citing the Central Election Commission. The commission was due by the end of Tuesday to announce the official result and set the runoff.
Voters abroad painted a different picture. There, the Gyurov–Kandev ticket won 45.79%, Yotova–Valchev 22.79% and Kostadin Kostadinov 11.61%. Ivelin Mihaylov took 6.47%, while 2.89% of voters abroad chose “I support no one.” Abroad, the top two places were thus reversed compared with the overall result.
The commission is already preparing for the second round: ballots have been approved, the print order has gone to the central bank's printing house, and 280 new voting machines are to be sent abroad, BNT reported, citing Bulgarian National Radio. Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva urged the commission to adopt ten concrete measures to ensure accessible polling stations for people with disabilities in time for the runoff.