Uruguay to Have Second Round Presidential Election

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – This Sunday’s election in Uruguay confirmed that there will be a second round on Sunday, November 24th, between frontrunners Daniel Martínez and Luis Lacalle Pou, who led the balloting.

Candidate Daniel Martínez of the Frente Ampla left-wing coalition lead the polls with 39.9 percent of votes. The Frente Ampla coalition has been in power for 15 years.

Luis Lacalle Pou, a right-wing candidate for the National Party, is in second place with 29 percent.

In third place came the Colorado Party with 12 percent, with the Cabildo Abierto in fourth place with 10.5 percent. The other candidates obtained one percent or less votes.

In Uruguay, to win in the first round, a candidate must to obtain 50 percent plus one of all votes cast.

Analysts believe there will be a coalition among ‘blancos’ (from the National Party, second in the polls), ‘colorados’ (third) and partisans of the Cabildo Abierto (fourth), joining forces in the second round against Martínez, who is in the lead.

The country’s Electoral Court said the vote was historic with more than 90 percent attendance at the polls. Voting hours, from 8 AM to 7:30 PM, are the longest in Latin America.

The inauguration of the eventual winner will take place on March 1st, 2020.

Source: Subrayado, Agência Brasil