Polls close in Costa Rica following peaceful general elections

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA) - Costa Rica’s general elections concluded peacefully and were marked by strong voter turnout, electoral authorities announced Sunday.

Polls closed at 6 p.m. local time across the Central American nation at 7,154 polling stations, where voters elected a new president and vice presidents as well as 57 lawmakers to the Legislative Assembly for the 2026-2030 term.

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) reported that the elections unfolded with “absolute normality” and “no significant incidents.”

Electoral authorities said the process was safeguarded by the participation of more than 53,000 party representatives who served as observers at polling stations.

Ope Pasquet, head of the Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) for the National Elections in Costa Rica, highlighted the calm nature of voting day.

“Everything we know so far, all the information available to us, indicates that the electoral process is unfolding with total normality. That is what all the reports we have are telling us,” Pasquet told the media.

TSE President Eugenia Maria Zamora Chavarria said there was a high level of voter participation. The electoral roll exceeded 3.7 million registered voters, despite concerns about potential abstention due to voter indecision, with some polls projecting that more than 20% of voters remained undecided.

“The sense conveyed to us by electoral officials throughout the country, as well as at consulates abroad, is that there has been strong voter turnout overall at all polling stations,” Zamora said.

According to most opinion polls, the frontrunner is Laura Fernandez Delgado, the candidate of the ruling Partido Pueblo Soberano (PPSO) party, who some exit polls project could receive up to 44% of the vote.

“I am very happy and grateful to God to celebrate yet another election. This is a democratic celebration in which our country freely turns out to vote. It is a democratic celebration, and we must thank God for our country and for the democratic stability that I will always protect,” Delgado said at a press conference.

The electoral authority is expected to announce the first official results at 8.45 pm Sunday.

If no candidate secures the minimum 40% of the vote required by law, a runoff election will be held on April 5 to determine the winner.