Bulgaria begins presidential election campaign with 27 candidate pairs

presidential elections Central Election Commission machine voting ballot numbers election campaign

Bulgaria has officially entered the pre-election campaign for the presidential and vice-presidential elections scheduled for October 25, 2026. The Central Election Commission (CEC) has registered 27 candidate pairs for the race. Following a public draw, the ballot numbers for these pairs have been determined.

One candidate pair, consisting of Alexander Tomov and Sergey Indzhov, faced a registration issue when Indzhov was found to hold Soviet citizenship, which is prohibited by the Constitution. The pair remained in the race after Alexander Garibov was proposed as a replacement for the vice-presidential candidate.

Logistical preparations are underway, with the CEC selecting Siela Norma as the sole provider for the technical and logistical support of machine voting. Approximately 12,800 voting machines will undergo technical diagnostics, maintenance, and software updates to ensure functionality. The state has allocated over 12 million euros for the organization of the elections. Machine voting will be utilized in most sections, with exceptions for smaller polling stations and specific social institutions.

Entities

Alexander Tomov · Andrey Gyurov · Bulgaria · Central Election Commission · DPS · Iliyana Yotova · Kosta Dinov · Sergey Indzhov · Siela Norma

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 13 SOURCES] A total of 27 candidate pairs had their ballot numbers determined through the draw. www.oblastvt.bg · e-79.com · trafficnews.bg · fakti.bg · ruse.news · +6 more
[● 15 SOURCES] The Central Election Commission conducted a public draw to determine ballot numbers for the presidential elections. www.oblastvt.bg · trafficnews.bg · e-79.com · breaking.bg · fakti.bg · +8 more
[● 6 SOURCES] The pre-election campaign is set to begin on September 25. www.oblastvt.bg · vevesti.bg · www.actualno.com · clubz.bg · www.plovdiv24.bg
[○ 1 SOURCE] The DPS party did not nominate a presidential and vice-presidential candidate pair.
[● 11 SOURCES] The presidential and vice-presidential elections are scheduled for October 25, 2026. www.oblastvt.bg · trafficnews.bg · e-79.com · fakti.bg · vevesti.bg · +5 more
[● 2 SOURCES] The CEC rejected the registration of two parties and three initiative committees. fakti.bg
[● 3 SOURCES] The registration process included 8 political parties and 24 initiative committees. fakti.bg
[● 3 SOURCES] The CEC has selected Siela Norma as the sole participant for the technical and logistical support of machine voting. www.vesti.bg · ruse.news
[● 4 SOURCES] The CEC invalidated the registration of vice-presidential candidate Sergey Indzhov due to Soviet citizenship. fakti.bg · www.standartnews.com
[● 2 SOURCES] 18,430 Bulgarian citizens from 66 countries have registered to vote abroad. vevesti.bg · clubz.bg
[● 3 SOURCES] Siela Norma is the sole participant for the technical and logistical support of machine voting. ruse.news · www.vesti.bg
[● 3 SOURCES] 12,800 voting machines will undergo technical diagnostics, maintenance, and repair. ruse.news · www.vesti.bg