Central Election Commission (Bulgaria)
Independent body administering Bulgarian elections.
Last refreshed: 30 April 2026
How quickly will the CEC certify result challenges from the 19 April 2026 election?
- Who certified Bulgaria's 19 April 2026 election result?
- The Central Election Commission (CEC / CIK), the independent body responsible for Bulgarian elections, certified the result on 20 April 2026 with Progressive Bulgaria taking 131 seats and Vazrazhdane just clearing the 4% threshold at 4.257%.Source: BTA
- What is Bulgaria's parliamentary threshold?
- 4% of the national vote. In 2026 Vazrazhdane cleared it at 4.257%, retaining parliamentary seats but losing kingmaker leverage.
- How is Bulgaria's Central Election Commission appointed?
- 21 members are appointed by the President of Bulgaria on parliamentary nomination, with a five-year mandate and proportional representation of parliamentary parties.
Background
The Central Election Commission (Bulgarian: Централна избирателна комисия, CIK / English: CEC) is the independent body responsible for organising and certifying Bulgaria's national, presidential, European Parliament and local elections under the Bulgarian Electoral Code. It comprises 21 members appointed by the President on parliamentary nomination for a five-year mandate, with proportional representation of parliamentary parties.
For the 19 April 2026 snap parliamentary election, the CEC certified the result on 20 April 2026: Progressive Bulgaria (Rumen Radev's bloc) won 44.594% and 131 seats; GERB-UDF 13.387%, 39 seats; PP-DB 12.618%, 37 seats; MRF 7.120%; Vazrazhdane 4.257%, just clearing the 4% threshold . The CEC's certification is the legal trigger for the constituent session of the new Narodno Sabranie and the President's mandate to nominate a prime ministerial formateur.
The CEC has had a turbulent recent history: repeated snap elections between 2021 and 2024 stretched its administrative capacity, and the body has been criticised by opposition parties at various points for procedural opacity and slow vote-tally publication. The 2026 election was administered cleanly and certified on schedule, a notable continuity given the political volatility surrounding the Schengen and Eurozone accession period.
