site.btaOpinion Poll: 44.8% of Bulgarians Expected to Vote in October 29 Local Elections

A total of 44.8% of Bulgarians are expected to vote in the October 29 local elections, according to a Gallup International Balkan poll commissioned by the Bulgarian National Radio. Some 2.5% would choose the option “I do not support anyone”.

The figures are part of a tablet-based survey conducted between October 15 and 22, 2023 among 1,008 people via face-to-face interviews.

The poll shows that there is a preference for majoritarian representation: 44.8% of respondents who would vote in the elections consider the party nominating a mayoral candidate more important than the candidate themself, who 53.6% deem more important. According to the figures, 54.8% of respondents would vote for a new mayor, while 37.7% would vote for their incumbent mayor.

Asked whether they would vote for a particular candidate, party, or coalition in the local elections in exchange for payment, another incentive, or under duress, 11.4% of respondents gave an affirmative answer, while 83.8% gave a negative one.

The survey shows that 24.9% of respondents would cast their ballots for a party list or affiliated local coalitions registered by GERB. A total of 16.8% would vote for Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (and Save Sofia in the capital), 15.8% for Vazrazhdane, 12.7% for Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), 9.5% for the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), 4% for There Is Such a People, 2.2% for The Left; 12% would back various other political formations such as Bulgarian Rise and VMRO; and 2.1% would choose an independent candidate.

Experts point out that traditionally, BSP gets fewer votes in the capital and the northeastern regions of the country, where MRF performs better. Vazrazhdane seems to rely on wider support in the northwestern and southeastern municipalities. The party also performs strongly in Sofia. GERB, which is relatively evenly represented across the country, has a stronghold in the northwest.