Youth Vote: “Progressive Bulgaria” Leads Among Voters Aged 18–30, Alpha Research Finds

A total of 34% of voters aged 18 to 30 supported “Progressive Bulgaria”, according to data from polling agency Alpha Research.

The second most popular party among young voters was We Continue the Change- Democratic Bulgaria, which received 22% of the youth vote.

Sociologists say Generation Z largely chose to vote rather than remain passive online, with many young people turning out later in the election day, often waiting in queues to cast their ballots.

Experts also noted that the youth vote was not strongly tied to a single political formation.

Genoveva Petrova from Alpha Research:

“Their vote is not oriented towards a single political formation. WCC–DB receives very strong support, but in fact PB turns out to be the formation that has won the trust of those young people who went out to vote today.”

In a broadcast on Bulgarian National Television on election night, young voters reflected on whether the journey from street protests to the ballot box has been a long one.

Pavel Simeonov:

“Every vote is a vote with the hope that, even if you are voting just because there is no one else, in the future your vote will be for someone who has earned it — and you feel proud to have supported them.”

Margarita Stoyanovich:

“It is good to have such freedom of choice — that is the goal of our generation. We are rebels, we are very confident in our vote, but I am more traditional in this respect, because I believe not everyone has the right to vote. People with authority and more experience should show us the example.”

Student Siana Dimitrova said she voted with a preference vote, but chose an older candidate rather than someone from the younger generation, explaining that she supports voting based on ideology and policies rather than personality.

Konstantin Milev:

“The energy comes exactly after the protests, and we want to see more young people. Parties want to encourage more young people to vote — great. And that is why you put someone in 10th place or further back, you put up billboards for people who will not be elected, people who have no experience and should not be elected, and they speak like 50-year-olds.”

Flora Stratieva, influencer, said:

“In Generation Z there is probably a prevailing sense of disappointment and surprise, because many of the people who were actively protesting, who were in the squares, expected that this would somehow magically translate into votes. This generation was burdened with high expectations that it could not fulfil.”

In a separate survey for Bulgarian National Television, polling agency “Myara” examined how those who say they took part in last year’s protests voted.

“Progressive Bulgaria” leads among this group with more than one third of the vote, followed by WCC–DB with over 26%.