Iliana Yotova takes lead in Bulgaria's presidential election, exit polls show
- Incumbent secures 36.5% of vote, while her closest rival Andrey Gyurov receives 32.4%
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- Incumbent secures 36.5% of vote, while her closest rival Andrey Gyurov receives 32.4%
By Melike Pala
BRUSSELS (AA) - Incumbent President Iliana Yotova secured the most votes in Bulgaria's presidential election on Sunday, narrowly leading former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov, exit polls showed.
Yotova received 36.5% of the vote, while Gyurov followed closely with 32.4%, according to data released by polling agency Trend cited by BTA news agency.
The narrow gap between the two leading tickets was smaller than anticipated by opinion polling agencies ahead of the election.
The results suggest a closely contested race, with the final outcome depending on the official vote count.
Under Bulgaria's electoral system, a presidential candidate must secure more than 50% of valid votes, provided voter turnout exceeds 50% of registered voters, to win in the first round.
If no candidate meets the requirements, a runoff between the two leading candidates will be held next Sunday, Nov. 1.