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Voter turnout in the first round of Bulgaria's local elections is low

| updated on 10/30/23 9:46 AM
Photo: BTA

There will be a runoff of the the election for mayor in Sofia. The candidate of "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (PP-DB) and "Save Sofia" Vasil Terziev leads with 33 %. Vanya Grigorova, supported by the BSP, faces him with 21.1 percent. Voter turnout in the capital Sofia was 37.5%, according to a 100% completed sample from the parallel count of the votes conducted by Gallup International Balkan - the sociological agency that is a partner of the BNR.

Of the 1.1 million citizens of Sofia who have the right to vote, 379,750 voters went to the polls. In the previous local elections in 2019, voters were 455,936, or 42.82% of all citizens having the right to vote.


The mayors of some regional cities were elected in the first round including: Kardzhali - Erol Myumyun from MRF - 55.8%; Yambol - Valentin Revanski from "Direct Democracy" - 79.15; Burgas - Dimitar Nikolov from GERB - 60%; Vratsa - Kalin Kamenov from GERB - 67%; Stara Zagora - Zhivko Todorov from GERB - 51.2%; Pernik - Stanislav Vladimirov local coalition - 71.5%; Montana - Zlati Zhivkov from GERB-SDS - 59%; Targovishte - Darin Dimitrov from GERB -67%.

In Gabrovo, it is not yet clear whether there will be a runoff.

In the country's second largest city, Plovdiv, there will be a runoff on November 5 between Kostadin Dimitrov from GERB and Ivaylo Staribratov from PP-DB, Ivan Portnih GERB and Blagomir Kotsev PP-DB will argue in Varna. 

There will be runoffs also in the regional cities of Veliko Tarnovo, Kyustendil, Haskovo, Vidin, Pazardjik, Pleven, Razgrad, Smolyan, Ruse, Dobrich, Shumen, Silistra, Lovech, Gabrovo, Sliven and Blagoevgrad.



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