Election day in Costa Rica. Photo: Alejandro Gomez/PL.
The low turnout in the elections marked the first two hours of the second round of Costa Rica’s general elections to choose the president who will lead the country in 2022-2026.
Touring the polling stations in San José, Prensa Latina confirmed the low turnout this early morning, despite calls from top authorities and the presidential candidates themselves, José María Figueres and Rodrigo Chaves, for voters to exercise their right to vote.
Federico Hernández, one of Costa Rica’s voters, pointed out that the lack of motivation to vote was due to the fact that neither candidate had managed to win over those who supported other political groups in their country in the first round Proselytizing campaign would have voted before this vote.
Far from discussing the government programs and the actions they would take to address the triple crisis: health, economic and social affecting the national population, the candidates prioritized personal attacks, Hernández stressed.
Likewise, Ana Lucía Jiménez pointed out that the indifference towards the 2022 electoral process is due to the fact that the majority of the population does not see in this exercise of democracy a solution to the difficult conditions and numerous problems that it is going through.
However, Jiménez urged his compatriots to get involved and leave the decision on the election of the new president to others.
Accordingly, President Carlos Alvarado Pío wrote today in his personal accounts on various social networks: “We are an example in the world of freedom, democracy and peace, which are the pillars on which our country has consolidated its history and is building future. Congratulations Costa Rica for the new democratic day that we will see today!
This Saturday, shortly after returning from official visits to Spain and France, Alvarado called on voters to participate in the second round of presidential elections to exercise their right to vote.
“Voting is a right and a duty. We live in a free, democratic country and it is up to us to elect our rulers. We will exercise this right, believing in the role of every citizen in further promoting this democracy. We urge people to vote,” he said.
Alvarado, who will present the presidential sash tomorrow between Rodrigo Chaves and former President José María Figueres (1994-1998), announced that he would cast his ballot at the Liceo de Pavas at 4:30 p.m. local time.
The president’s call aims to reduce the foreseeably high abstentions expected in this vote, according to analysts and pundits, who predict it will be higher than in the first round of general elections on February 6, when he 40.29 percent achieved record since 1958.
This is the third consecutive year that Costa Rica’s president has had to be elected in a second round, as was the case in 2014 when Luis Guillermo Solís won and 2018 when Carlos Alvarado won.
On both occasions the abstention was higher than in the first ballot.
The 6,767 Vote Receiving Boards (JRV) opened today in the second round of general elections to choose between former President Figueres (1994-1998) of the National Liberation Party and Chaves of the Social Democratic Progressive Party, who occupied there order, first and second places in the first round.
Data from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) shows that there are three million 541,908 registered Costa Ricans who can go to that number of JRVs spread across the national geography to elect the President for the period May 8, 2022 to To be elected May 8 of 2026.
The JRVs opened at 06:00 local time and close at 18:00 local time, the TSE announced and announced that it will issue the first report on the results of the vote around 20:00 local time.
(With information from PL)