Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

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.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Bulgaria presents space food at EXPO 2025 in Japan

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Agricultur al  Academy presented Bulgaria's innovation and scientific potential in agriculture during the theme week "Necessities for L ife: F ood, C lothing and S helter", which takes..

published on 6/10/25 5:25 PM

Employees of Road Infrastructure Agency block the road to Danube Bridge 2

Employees of the Road Infrastructure Agency blocked the road to Danube Bridge-2 in Vidin, the Bulgarian National Radio’s reporter Anzhela Kamenova informed. They demand a wage increase of at least 10%. At exactly 12:00 pm the protesters closed the..

published on 6/10/25 4:57 PM

Ship loaded with agricultural fertilizers gets stuck in shallows in the port of Burgas

A cargo ship carrying agricultural fertilizers got stuck in shallow waters near the entrance channel of the port of Burgas while performing a maneuver. The ship, flying the Liberian flag, can be seen from the public access area..

published on 6/10/25 4:46 PM