ECUADOR‘s presidential election entered a second-round runoff as preliminary results showed none of the candidates had secured a majority to win in the first round of voting, the National Electoral Council said on Sunday, adding that the second-round runoff will be held on October 15.
The voting day on Sunday was filled by massive deployment of police and military forces amid security concerns.
From 7 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon local time, over 4,300 polling stations across the country were opened for 13 million eligible voters to cast their ballots on one of the eight presidential candidates.
To ensure public safety, authorities have deployed over 100,000 officers, including police and soldiers.
Earlier this month, Ecuador’s presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was killed in an armed attack in Quito, the country’s capital, and the country declared a 60-day state of emergency ‘due to serious internal upheaval’.
Local people are hoping to see the new government lead the country out of violence.
“Safety comes first. Because with a safe environment, we can attract domestic and foreign investment, so that people can have more employment opportunities,” Marcho Chamba, Resident, Quito, said.
“If we vote for the president in a responsible manner, I am positive that we will have a good government afterwards. I think the new government should be based on providing security for all Ecuadorians and focusing on the five themes such as health, education and housing in Ecuador,” Luciana Becerra, Resident, Quito, said.
To note, the South American country has faced a series of political upheavals in recent years.
Increased violence, assassinations, prison riots and dozens of bomb attacks have killed over 20 police officers so far in 2023.
At the moment, presidential candidate Luisa Gonzales is leading the votes, surpassing Daniel Noboa in the political contest.
