Turnout up as Bulgarians vote in critical election (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
Bulgaria’s Rumen Radev and Boyko Borissov have cast their votes, and the country’s eighth election in five years is underway. Radev, who opposes EU aid to Ukraine, has vowed to break the stranglehold of the “oligarchic mafia” on Bulgaria.
The election is another flashpoint in the battle between pro-EU and sovereignist political forces in Europe. Borissov’s GERB-SDS party is aligned with Brussels’ foreign policy, and he reassured voters on Sunday that the party gives “full support to Ukraine.” Radev's Progressive Bulgaria faction promises to balance relations between East and West, with Radev vowing to build a “modern European Bulgaria,” while developing “practical relations with Russia based on mutual respect.”
Radev is a former fighter pilot who served as Bulgaria’s president between 2017 and 2026. Borissov is the country’s longest-serving prime minister, holding office between 2009 and 2021. The pair publicly clashed during their overlapping stint in power, with Radev backing the 2020 anti-corruption protests that led to Borissov’s downfall.
Just as it did in Hungary last weekend, and in France, Germany, Moldova, and Romania beforehand, the EU has activated its ‘Rapid Response System’ in Bulgaria. This suite of online censorship tools gives the European Commission the power to remove so-called “disinformation” from social media platforms during the election.
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19 April 2026
13:06 GMTThere are no formal exit polls in Bulgaria, but that doesn’t stop media outlets publishing their own estimates.
A poll by the center-right ‘Dnevnik’ news outlet shows Radev’s progressive Bulgaria leading Borissov’s GERB-SDS by 34.1% to 20.1%. A quick glance at Dnevnik’s chart appears to show Borissov’s party narrowly trailing Radev’s. But according to the numbers, Progressive Bulgaria has more votes than the next two parties combined.
What’s unclear is whether this is an example of poor graphic design, or not-so-subtle bias.
- 12:50 GMT
Remember Christo Grozev? He’s the Bellingcat investigator appointed by Bulgaria’s caretaker government to “counter disinformation and combat hybrid threats” surrounding the election.
According to the government, Grozev will “assist the organization with specific information exposing malicious influences,” which will then “be able to be addressed both at the national and European levels through mechanisms developed by the European Commission” – the same censorship machinery RT reported on earlier.
The Kremlin is not hiding who its preferred candidate in tomorrow's elections in Bulgaria is, and is salivating over the hopes to make up for its humiliating loss in Hungary. pic.twitter.com/ZCnTWukRUX
— Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) April 18, 2026So far, his work has seemingly involved reading RT’s coverage of the election. Stay tuned, Christo!
- 12:26 GMT
Reports of election meddling have trickled in all day. According to the deputy secretary of the Bulgarian Interior Ministry, Georgi Kandev, 181 cases of fraud have been reported and 13 criminal cases opened.
A vote-buying scheme was discovered in the town of Smolyan this morning, Kandev said, explaining that three people were caught with €40,000 intended for the purchase of votes.
For anyone else attempting to interfere, the ministry “has prepared some surprises,” he warned.
- 12:17 GMT
Queues have been reported at polling stations abroad, with particularly long waits seen in Brussels, Rome, and Vienna. More than 60,000 Bulgarians in 68 countries have registered to vote, and the queues are another sign pointing to higher turnout than during previous elections.
- 12:03 GMT
Radev’s vote was a more low-key affair, with the former president driving himself to a polling station in Sofia – and reportedly getting delayed in traffic along the way. Notably, Radev was not accompanied by his wife, Desislava. In a Facebook post on Saturday night, she said that she would “think about it for another half hour,” Bulgarian media reported.
- 11:55 GMT
Borissov has explicitly ruled out forming a coalition. Speaking to reporters after casting his vote, he said that GERB-SDS will “no longer compromise” and weaken its position through coalitions.
During his 12 years in power, Borissov earned a reputation for forming coalitions with anyone from the center or right to stay in power. Here, he’s practically admitting defeat: GERB-SDS is polling at around 20%, meaning a broad coalition would be essential for a return to office.
- 11:48 GMT
Voter interest is higher than usual in a Bulgarian election. Turnout hit 17% by noon, up from 13.5% at the same time during snap elections in October 2024.
Repeated elections have resulted in voter fatigue in Bulgaria. Just 33% and 38% of eligible Bulgarians voted in the country’s two general elections in 2024. This time around, turnout is expected to hit 60%, according to the Sofia-based Alpha Research.
