A total of 78 polling stations have been opened in Turkey for the second round of the elections for president and vice president of Bulgaria. Their number is three times higher than in the parliamentary vote in April 2026, after the restrictions on the number of polling stations in countries outside the European Union were lifted.
The largest number of polling stations is in Istanbul - 18. The district also includes polling stations in Gebze, Izmit, Sakarya and Çanakkale. Another 17 polling stations have been opened in Bursa.
7,809 people voted in the first round
In the first round, held on October 25, 7,809 Bulgarian citizens voted in Turkey, the Central Election Commission reports. The pre-approved applications for voting were 13,190. The turnout was determined to be record low.
According to data from diaspora organizations, the number of Bulgarian citizens in the Istanbul and Bursa regions exceeds 250,000 people. However, in the first round, slightly more than half of those who submitted preliminary applications reached the polls.
The opening of 78 polling stations allows Bulgarian citizens in Turkey to exercise their right to vote in the run-off under a simplified regime compared to previous elections. The polling stations were determined based on data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Sources: bta.bg