3.7M Costa Ricans Head to Polls for General Elections
Voting commenced at 6 a.m. local time (1200 GMT) and will run until 6 p.m. (0000 GMT Monday), giving approximately 3.7 million registered voters the opportunity to select their next president, two vice presidents, and 57 congressional representatives.
The Supreme Electoral Tribunal has expanded democratic access by establishing polling locations at 49 consulates spanning 42 nations, enabling as many as 67,270 expatriate citizens to participate. Overseas voters can cast ballots between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. according to their respective local times.
While 20 presidential hopefuls are vying for the nation's top office, polling data indicates a commanding performance by Laura Fernandez Delgado, the candidate representing the governing Sovereign People's Party. As the designated successor to President Rodrigo Chaves Robles, Fernandez maintains a dominant position in voter preference surveys.
The Center for Political Research and Studies exit poll shows Fernandez capturing support from 44% of likely voters—a crucial threshold under Costa Rican electoral law that permits first-round victory for any candidate securing at least 40% of votes cast.
Fernandez has positioned her campaign as an extension of Chaves Robles' conservative governance, emphasizing economic strategy and enhanced public security measures.
The competition trails significantly behind the front-runner, with all remaining candidates registering single-digit support. Alvaro Roberto Ramos of the progressive National Liberation Party stands as Fernandez's nearest competitor at 9.2%, while Claudia Dobles—an architect and former first lady representing the Citizen Agenda Coalition—holds 8.6%, the same exit poll reveals.
Should any candidate fail to achieve the 40% mandate in Sunday's vote, a runoff election is scheduled for April 5. The victorious presidential candidate will assume office May 8, with the incoming legislative body being inaugurated one week earlier on May 1.
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