MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay's 2024 Election: Voter turnout reaches 40% by midday, anticipating a close race

The candidate of the leftist Frente Amplio, Orsi, promoted by former president José Pepe Mujica, is the favorite in the polls

As Uruguayans head to the polls this October 27 to elect their president, vice-president, and Parliament, preliminary reports from the Electoral Court indicate a steady turnout. By midday, 40% of the 2,727,120 eligible voters had cast their ballots across the country's 7,276 polling circuits. Voting is mandatory in Uruguay, with those abstaining required to pay a fine or present a valid excuse, such as illness, disability, or international travel.

The race is expected to culminate in a runoff in November, with no candidate projected to secure the 50% majority needed for an outright victory. According to recent surveys released earlier this week by pollsters Cifra and Factum, Frente Amplio candidate Yamandú Orsi leads with 44%, followed by Álvaro Delgado from the Partido Nacional at around 23-27%, depending on the source. Andrés Ojeda of the Partido Colorado remains in third with approximately 12-15% support.

The candidate of the leftist Frente Amplio, Orsi, promoted by former president José Pepe Mujica, is the favorite in the polls, but would not reach the 50% plus one of the votes he needs to win in the first round.

Analysts agree that this electoral campaign has been atypical, with no major popular mobilizations and with candidates who have not aroused the political passion aroused by their predecessors, Tabaré Vázquez or Mujica (FA) and the current president, Luis Lacalle Pou (PN), who closes his term with a 50% approval rating, according to Equipo Consultores.

Voters have until 7:30 p.m. to cast their ballots. Exit polls are prohibited until 8:30 p.m., with the Electoral Court estimating that early results could start showing a trend by 10 p.m. “By then, a substantial number of circuits will have reported their results, allowing a clearer indication of the final outcome,” noted two officials from the Court in conversation with El País.

As the day progresses, Uruguayans await both the final tally and the possibility of a November runoff in a closely-watched election that will determine the country's direction.