Bulgaria election heads to a run-off amid low voter turnout

Bulgarians will now choose between President Iliana Yotova and former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov next week. Bulgaria’s presidential election is heading to a run-off after polls closed with low voter turnout and no candidate passing the required threshold. Incumbent President Iliana Iotova received between 35 and 36.5 percent of votes on Sunday, according to exit polls. She will now face former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, who scored between 31 and 33.5 percent, in a second round on November 1. Minister of Interior Ivan Demerdzhiev said the elections “took place peacefully, without the usual practices of vote buying and vote manipulation”, Bulgarian National Television reported. The NATO and European Union member state saw 27 presidential candidates run in the election.

A run-off was expected, as turnout must reach more than 50 percent of registered voters, and the candidate must secure more than 50 percent of the votes to win in the first round. Voter turnout was 22.2 percent as of 8pm local time (18:00 GMT), according to the Measure polling agency. Rising energy costs, inflation, attacks in the Black Sea and Russia’s war in Ukraine were the major issues in the lead-up to the vote. A series of drone strikes on ships off Bulgaria’s coast, condemned by both candidates, dominated headlines during the campaign period. Leftist Iotova is backed