Voting begins in Bolivia for the presidential election

In the South American country of Bolivia, citizens went to the polls to elect a president who will govern the nation for the next five years.

With a population exceeding 12 million, more than 8 million registered voters began casting ballots from 7:00 a.m. local time at 3,733 polling centers across the country’s nine departments.

Voting is mandatory for citizens over the age of 18, and polls will remain open until 5:00 p.m. local time.

The election will determine not only the new president and vice president but also members of Congress.

Although eight candidates are running for president, polls show the race narrowing between two figures: 66-year-old businessman Samuel Doria Medina, the center-right candidate, and 65-year-old former president Jorge Quiroga. Both have pledged “comprehensive” reforms across all sectors if elected.

The ruling Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party’s candidate, former Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo, is seen as unlikely to succeed in the first round due to internal party divisions.

Former president Evo Morales, who resigned after disputes with MAS and was barred from running by the Supreme Court, has urged his supporters to cast invalid ballots in protest.

To win outright in the first round, a candidate must secure either 50 percent of valid votes or at least 40 percent with a 10-point lead over the closest rival. Otherwise, the contest will proceed to a second round.

According to local media, longstanding shortages of foreign currency and fuel, coupled with divisions within the leftist bloc, make a MAS victory at the ballot box unlikely.