Elections in Bulgaria

Bulgaria elects a head of state—the president—and a legislature on a national level. The president is elected for a five-year term by the people directly. The National Assembly (Narodno Sabranie) has 240 members elected for a four-year term by proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies with a 4% threshold. Bulgaria has a multi-party system in which usually no party receives a required majority and parties have to collaborate to form governments, generally via confidence and supply or coalition agreements.

Parliamentary elections

Parliamentary elections have been held in Bulgaria since 1879. There was a period when partisan politics was banned from 1934 to 1944; in the wake of the Bulgarian coup d'état of 1934 and the sequential personal rule of Tsar Boris III. There was also period of single party system between 1945 and 1989, during the People's Republic of Bulgaria, during which only candidates sanctioned by authorities could run. This, in practice, gave the Bulgarian Communist Party and its collaborators a monopoly on power.

Until 1945 there was no universal suffrage for the women. The table below show the elections since 1990, when the government became a democratic republic.

All elections since 1991 have had 240 members, elected for a four-year term by proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies with a 4% threshold. The two elections that differed from this model was the 1990 Grand National Assembly election, where 400 representatives were elected: half by proportional representation and half by first-past-the-post voting. The other exception was the 2009 election when 209 representatives were elected by proportional representation and 31 through first past the post; seats corresponding to the provinces and the largest cities.

Historical turnout Turnout198619901991 1994199720012005 2009 201320142017April 2021July 2021Nov 202120222023June 2024October 2024202699.92%90.78%83.87%75.23%58.87%66.63%55.76%60.64%52.47%49.51%52.57%49.1%40.39%38.64%39.30%40.63%33.4%38.94%50.70%

Most recent election

Presidential elections

Presidential elections have been held since 1992. From 1996 onwards, presidential elections have been held every five years.

Most recent election

European Parliament elections

Bulgaria has participated in every European Parliament elections since 2007, as its accession to the European Union in that same year. GERB has won every EU election since 2007, as of 2024. European Parliament elections in Bulgaria 2007 European Parliament election in Bulgaria 2009 European Parliament election in Bulgaria 2014 European Parliament election in Bulgaria 2019 European Parliament election in Bulgaria 2024 European Parliament election in Bulgaria

Referendums Since 1991, referendums are required to have a turnout of at least 60% in order to be considered valid.Q&A: Bulgaria's nuclear energy referendum BBC News, 25 January 2013 Any referendum which has a turnout of at least 20% is required to be debated in the National Assembly.Bulgaria’s electronic voting referendum falls short Sofia Globe, 25 October 2015 Under current Bulgarian law a referendum is mandatory if a petition receives at least five hundred thousand signatures. QuestionForAgainstNone of the aboveInvalid/ blankTotal votesRegistered votersTurnoutOutcomeSourceVotes%Votes%Votes%19 November 1922War criminal prosecutions647,31374.33223,58425.6757,879928,776Bulgarien, 19. November 1922 : Anklage gegen Kriegsverbrecher Direct Democracy8 September 1946Adopting a Republic3,833,18395.63175,2314.37124,5074,132,9214,509,35491.65Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p368 16 May 1971Approval of new constitution6,135,21899.715,4770.35,5336,156,2286,174,63599.7Nohlen & Stöver, p36827 January 2013Nuclear power plant851,75761.49533,52638.5119,9031,405,1866,952,18320.21Q&A: Bulgaria's nuclear energy referendum BBC News, 25 January 2013Bulgarians vote in referendum on nuclear energy Deutsche Welle25 October 2015Electronic voting1,883,41172.79704,18227.21122,3392,709,9326,766,61940.05Bulgaria’s electronic voting referendum falls short Sofia Globe, 25 October 20156 November 2016Two-round system for parliamentary elections2,509,86473.80560,02416.47330,9289.7387,6683,488,4846,865,08650.81After a Day of Uncertainty, Bulgaria Voting System Referendum Falls Through Novinite, 8 November 2016Compulsory voting2,158,92963.48905,69126.63336,1809.8987,6683,488,468Political funding2,516,79174.02523,75915.40359,77810.5887,6683,487,996

Regional referendums Several regional referendums have been held as well.

Local elections Mayors and municipal councilors are elected across the country every four years. The elections to Bulgaria's municipal councils are conducted via proportional representation with an open list preferential voting system.

Most recent elections

Elections in Bulgaria

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