What is the difference between an exit poll, a projection and the final result?

The exit poll is based on surveys of voters immediately after they cast their ballot and is published the moment polling stations close. A projection extrapolates the votes already counted to the country as a whole and becomes more accurate as counting proceeds. The final official result is only confirmed once every vote has been counted and certified by the electoral authority.

Why doesn't a party's vote share match its share of the seats?

Votes are converted into seats under the rules of the electoral system. Electoral thresholds leave small parties without a mandate, while constituencies, rounding methods or additional seats shift the distribution further. That is why a party with less than half of the votes can end up with more than half of the seats.

Who forms the government after the election?

A government needs a majority of the seats in parliament behind it – either a single party or several together in a coalition. The election only distributes the seats; which alliance emerges from them is negotiated afterwards.

Bulgaria Bulgaria's Parliamentary Election: Results, Seat Distribution, and Coalition Options

Election Winner

GERB

32.7 % of votes

Parties in Parliament

-3 compared to 2014

Voter Turnout

54.1 %

+3.0 percentage points compared to 2014

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Final Official Results of Bulgaria's Parliamentary Election

The bars show each party's vote share, the chips the swing since the previous election. Bulgaria's Parliamentary Election Results (Held on 26 March 2017)

GERB

32.7

±0.0

BSP

27.2

+11.8

VMRO

9.1

+1.8

DSB

9.0

+9.0

Volya

4.2

+4.2

3.1

-5.8

DaB

2.9

+2.9

DOST

2.9

+2.9

ABV

1.6

-2.6

1.1

-4.6

Other

3.7

Government could remain in office

The incumbent governing parties achieved 72.9% of the seats.

Seat Distribution After Bulgaria's Parliamentary Election

Total seats

240

Majority

121

Parties

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Bulgaria's National Assembly: Coalition Scenarios for a Governing Majority

121

0 240

Majority 121

Parties

Select parties to test coalitions.

Scenarios: What if...?

Select all parties near the electoral threshold that should enter parliament. electoral threshold at 4%.

Who Governed Bulgaria After the Election

Election Day 26/03/2017 Government formation 39 days Borisov III 04/05/2017 – 13/12/2021

Borisov III

4 May 2017 – 13 December 2021 · 4 years 7 months

95 of 240 seats

All Elections

Every party in detail: votes, gains and losses

Behind each vote share we also show what percentage of all eligible voters backed a party – non-voters included.

Orientation	Party	Votes	Electorate	Seats
Centre-Right	GERB	32.7 % ±0.0	17.7 %	95 +11
Centre-Left	BSP	27.2 % +11.8	14.7 %	80 +41
Right	VMRO	9.1 % +1.8	4.9 %	27 +8
Centre-Right	DSB	9.0 % +9.0	4.9 %	26 +26
Right	Volya	4.2 % +4.2	2.3 %	12 +12
Centre-Right	Reformatorski Blok	3.1 % -5.8	1.7 %	0 -23
Transversal	Da, Bŭlgariya!	2.9 % +2.9	1.6 %	0 ±0
Liberal	DOST	2.9 % +2.9	1.6 %	0 ±0
Centre-Left	ABV	1.6 % -2.6	0.9 %	0 -11
Right	Prezaredete Balgariya	1.1 % -4.6	0.6 %	0 -15
Unknown	Other Parties	3.7 % -2.8	2.0 %	0 ±0

Parties Vying for Power in Bulgaria's Parliamentary Election

Conservative

Social

Market

Progressive

Your position in comparison

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GERB Right Populist BSP Social Democratic VMRO Right DSB Conservative Volya Right Populist Reformatorski Blok Conservative Da, Bŭlgariya! Transversal DOST Liberal Show all parties

All Parties

Bulgaria's Parliamentary Election: How It Stacks Up Against Past Votes

2017 Voter Turnout 54.1%

32.7 27.2 9.1 9.0 4.2 3.1

2014 Voter Turnout 51.1%

32.7 15.4 7.3 8.9

2013

30.5 1.9 2.9

All Elections

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