Bulgarian presidential candidates see surge in donations and polling shifts

Data from the Bulgarian National Audit Office reveals that presidential campaign donations for two major candidate pairs exceeded 200,000 euros as of September 30. The pair of Andrey Gyurov and Georgi Kandev received 163,600 euros from 19 donations, including a single contribution of 100,000 euros. In contrast, the campaign for Iliyana Yotova and Kiril Valchev recorded 48 donations totaling 37,400 euros.

In total, four of the 27 presidential candidate pairs have reported 387,891.50 euros in combined donations and provided funds. This total includes 201,000 euros from individuals and 186,891.50 euros provided by candidates or committee members, the latter of which includes both cash and non-cash contributions.

Simultaneously, a poll conducted by Sova Harris between September 23 and 28 indicates that the Iliyana Yotova-Kiril Valchev duo is the current favorite, with 50.2% of respondents supporting them. The Andrey Gyurov-Georgi Kandev pair follows with 23.7% support. The survey notes that voter turnout readiness is below 50%, with 47.4% of respondents expressing readiness to vote.