Exit Polls Show Run-offs to Take Place in Bulgaria's Plovdiv, Shumen, Vidin

According to the latest exit polls, run-offs for the mayors of the cities of Plovdiv, Shumen and Vidin are likely to take place as no candidate garnered more than 50 % of the votes at the first round of the local elections, which took place in Bulgaria on Sunday.

Ivan Totev, the incumbent mayor of Plovdiv and candidate of the largest ruling party GERB, will face Slavcho Atanasov, former mayor and candidate of the Patriotic Front, in a run-off next Sunday.

Totev garnered 36.6 % of the votes, while Atanasov received 19.6 % of the votes.

In Shumen, the candidate of GERB Lyubomir Hristov will face the candidate of the largest opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Ivan Ivanov in a run-off.

Hristov garnered 37 % of the votes, while Ivanov received 19 % of the votes.

In Vidin, Rosica Kirova, the candidate of local coalition "United for change" will face Ognyan Tsenkov, the candidate of GERB, in a run-off.

Kirova garnered 27.67 % of the votes, while Tsenkov received 24.93 % of the votes.

It is still unclear whether there will be a run-off in the city of Haskovo, where exit polls suggest that the candidate of GERB Dobri Beilvanov is close to winning 50 % of the votes at the first round.