MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay’s Presidential race heads to runoff as Orsi's Frente Amplio leads first round

The focus now shifts to the runoff campaign, with both Orsi and Delgado likely to intensify outreach to undecided voters and those who supported other parties in the first round

Uruguay’s leftist Frente Amplio (FA) secured the top position in the first round of the presidential election. Yamandú Orsi, the FA candidate and former mayor of Canelones, led the race with 43.4% of the vote, propelled by support from former president José “Pepe” Mujica. However, he fell short of the majority threshold needed to avoid a runoff, and a second round is now scheduled for November 24. Orsi’s opponent in the runoff will be Álvaro Delgado, the National Party (PN) candidate, who garnered 27.2% of the vote and leads a coalition of center-right and right-wing parties that include the Colorado Party and Cabildo Abierto.

The other presidential contenders included Andrés Ojeda of the conservative Colorado Party, who came in third with 16.2%, and Guido Manini Ríos of the right-wing Cabildo Abierto, who earned a reduced 2.4% support. The collective support for these parties, combined with Delgado’s own base, gives the right-leaning coalition a potentially narrow advantage going into the runoff, with a combined 47% of the vote compared to Frente Amplio’s 44%.

The mood was jubilant at FA’s gathering in Montevideo, where Orsi addressed supporters, expressing optimism despite the need for a runoff. “Today is a night of joy, of celebration of democracy,” he said to cheers from the crowd. Orsi stressed the FA’s position as Uruguay’s largest political force, a title it has held in past elections, and urged supporters to rally for the final push in November. “Let’s go for that last effort, with more enthusiasm than ever,” he emphasized, urging unity among the diverse coalition of voters that brought FA its first-round victory.

In contrast, Delgado’s supporters gathered at Montevideo’s Varela Square, celebrating the National Party’s resurgence in this election cycle. Addressing the crowd from a stage draped with the Uruguayan flag, Delgado said, “The ballot boxes spoke. Uruguay expressed itself and said that the coalition is the most voted political project in the country.” The National Party candidate, who served as Secretary of the Presidency under Luis Lacale Pou's administration, expressed confidence in the coalition’s potential to secure a win in the second round. He announced that coalition leaders would meet Monday to discuss strategy and prepare a unified campaign platform, which he said would focus on jobs, security, mental health, and housing solutions for young people and families.

Alongside the presidential election, Uruguayans voted on two constitutional reforms. The first, supported by the national workers' federation PIT-CNT and some factions within the FA, proposed changes to the social security system. The proposed amendment would have reduced the retirement age from 65 to 60, adjusted pensions to the minimum wage, and eliminated private pension funds. This measure ultimately failed, receiving 40% of the vote—10 points below the required majority. The second proposal, which sought to authorize nighttime police raids, also failed, gathering similar levels of support.

The election also saw high turnout, with over 90% of Uruguay’s 2.7 million eligible voters casting ballots. Voting is compulsory in Uruguay, and the nation’s political stability, which has been a hallmark since its return to democracy in 1985, continues to be a source of pride and interest internationally. Uruguay’s political system is noted for its strong party structures and high levels of public trust, attributes highlighted by President Luis Lacalle Pou, who, though not up for re-election, supported Delgado and the coalition throughout the campaign.

The focus now shifts to the runoff campaign, with both Orsi and Delgado likely to intensify outreach to undecided voters and those who supported other parties in the first round. Delgado’s coalition will work on fine-tuning their policy platform and uniting their base, while Orsi’s FA is expected to emphasize its social and economic programs, particularly those benefiting Uruguay’s working and middle classes.

With the stakes set high, the second round promises to be one of Uruguay’s most competitive elections in recent history. Both campaigns have acknowledged the peaceful and celebratory spirit that marked election day, underscoring Uruguay’s status as one of the world’s few full democracies according to The Economist’s Democracy Index.