BoliviansBolivians are voting in an election that could bring an end to almost two decades of dominance by the leftist Movimiento al Socialismo (Mas).
The party, founded by Evo Morales, risks losing its legal status if it fails to reach 3% of the vote, according to electoral law. Morales, facing an arrest warrant and barred from standing, has urged his supporters to cast null votes in protest.
President Luis Arce, deeply unpopular amid the country’s worst economic crisis in 40 years, chose not to run. His chosen successor, interior minister Eduardo del Castillo, has been polling at about 2%.
The race is currently led by centre-right businessman Samuel Doria Medina and rightwing former president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, who are virtually tied. A possible outsider is 36-year-old senator Andrónico Rodríguez, once considered Morales’s heir, who split from Mas to run with the leftwing Alianza Popular coalition.
What happens if no candidate gets required vote percentage as Bolivians vote
The campaign has centred on the economic crisis, marked by shortages of dollars and fuel, long queues and soaring inflation. Analysts say Mas is almost certain to leave power, but warn that handing it over may prove difficult after 20 years of near-total control of institutions.
If no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote, or 40% with a 10-point lead, a second round will be held on 19 October, a first in Bolivia’s history.
