The presidential elections in Bulgaria will be held on October 25, 2026. The campaign ends at midnight on October 23, and October 24 is a day of reflection, during which election campaigning is prohibited.
Election day begins at 7:00 a.m. and must end at 8:00 p.m. If necessary, it can be extended to 9:00 p.m. On the same day, astronomical time returns, with the clocks moving back one hour.
CEC announces results on October 27
The key deadline after the vote is October 27. The Central Election Commission must then announce the final results, whether a president was elected in the first round, and whether a second round will be held. In the event of a runoff, the commission will announce both candidate pairs who received the most votes.
The possible second round is scheduled for November 1, 2026. The Central Election Commission confirms that the presidential and vice-presidential elections are scheduled for October 25, and in the event of a new election, the ballot will contain the two candidate lists with the highest score.
October 26 will be a non-school day, but attendance day
The Monday after the elections - October 26, will be a non-school day, but attendance day for all students. The Ministry of Education and Science states that the measure is related to the time needed to prepare classrooms after election day.
„An organization for activities with students will be created so that parents can leave their children at school“, the Ministry of Education and Science specifies.Activities for children must be organized in schools, and the curriculum for the day will be restructured. Classes will be of reduced duration, instead of being held according to the usual schedule for a full school day.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg, cik.bg, mon.bg