The result is now in the official count
Iliana Iotova has won Bulgaria’s November 1 presidential runoff. The Central Election Commission’s second-round results page, checked on November 2, shows 100% of precinct protocols processed: Iotova and running mate Kiril Valchev received 1,093,852 votes, or 57.566%. Andrey Gyurov and Georgi Kandev received 750,251, or 39.483%. Reuters and AP also report her victory. The result makes Iotova Bulgaria’s first elected female head of state; she had already been serving as acting president.
Why the percentages do not add up to 100% for the two tickets
The commission records another 56,080 ballots, or 2.951%, for the option supporting neither candidate. That explains the gap when the two candidate percentages are added together. Iotova’s lead over Gyurov is 343,601 votes and 18.083 percentage points, calculated from the commission’s totals. A percentage-point margin compares the two reported shares directly; it is different from saying one candidate received a given percentage more votes than the other.
A presidential victory is not a parliamentary majority
Reuters describes the presidency as largely ceremonial and notes that parliament holds most decision-making powers. It also reports that Prime Minister Rumen Radev backed Iotova. This result therefore has political significance without being a new parliamentary election. Readers should distinguish winning the presidency, controlling seats in parliament and securing support for an individual policy. Those are separate tests, even when politicians involved in them are allies.
Why earlier reports described a different stage
On election night, an exit poll estimates voting behaviour, while a partial count reports ballots already processed. The commission’s November 2 page marks 100% of precinct protocols processed, a more complete basis for reporting the tally than the earlier forecasts. Its site header retains the October 25 election-cycle date, but the page explicitly identifies the second round. The figures above are the runoff figures, not the first-round results that put the two tickets into this contest.
What this result does and does not settle
The election determines the winning presidential ticket. It cannot, by itself, establish how future legislation, international negotiations or relations between institutions will develop. This report makes no prediction about those outcomes. The Sofia photograph provides geographic context; it shows Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in 2023, not a polling station, campaign gathering or inauguration.