Bulgaria will hold a presidential runoff on November 1 after official results showed no candidate won an outright victory in Sunday's first round.

With nearly all ballots counted, the Central Election Commission reported that incumbent President Iliana Yotova received 34.8 percent of the vote. Former caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov secured 32 percent. Neither reached the threshold required for a first-round win, which also demands voter turnout above 50 percent.

Turnout reached just 22 percent of the 6.6 million eligible voters, the lowest on record. Observers linked the apathy to widespread distrust in political institutions.

Yotova, a leftist backed by Prime Minister Rumen Radev's party, faces Gyurov, a pro-Western reformist from the liberal-conservative opposition. The race has highlighted divisions over Russia's war in Ukraine and recent drone attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea.

Radev stated Monday that the runoff presents a choice between peace and war. Gyurov's strong showing surprised some analysts who expected a wider gap favoring the incumbent.

The runoff requires only a simple majority. Both candidates will seek to consolidate support from voters who backed eliminated contenders, including nationalist Kostadin Kostadinov who placed third with about 13 percent.

The largely ceremonial presidency carries weight in foreign policy amid Bulgaria's NATO and EU membership. The contest underscores ongoing political fragmentation in the Balkan nation.