Bulgaria presidential elections: New candidates registered

The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bulgaria has officially registered a new independent presidential ticket for the October 2026 elections. Physics professor Lachezar Avramov will run for president, with businessman Ivaylo Drazev as his vice-presidential candidate. This addition brings the total number of presidential contenders to eight.

In conjunction with candidate registrations, the CEC has announced the timeline for the electoral process. Starting September 2, the commission will accept registration documents for political parties and coalitions, with a deadline of September 9. Registration for initiative committees will begin on September 7 and conclude on September 14.

The Bulgarian government has approved an election budget of approximately 116.9 million euros to cover organizational, technical, and logistical requirements, including the printing of voter lists, security measures, and voting procedures abroad.