Polls Close for Colombia’s Runoff Election

On June 19, the second round of the presidential elections in Colombia was held, in which Colombians were able to choose who would rule the country for the 2022-2026 period: the formula of the Historical Pact coalition (left), led by Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez, or that of the League of Anti-Corruption Rulers (center right), led by Rodolfo Hernández and Merelen Castillo.

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Over 39 Million Colombians Elect Their President on This Day

Polls opened today at 08:00 local time with a total of 39 million two thousand 239 citizens eligible to exercise their right to vote. According to data from the National Civil Registry Office, people could vote in 102 thousand 152 voting tables, distributed in 12 thousand 513 voting stations.

At the traditional opening ceremony of the elections in the Bolivar Square in the country's capital, Bogotá, the National Registrar, Alexander Vega, said that "the National Registrar's Office is the guarantor of a calm and transparent vote for Colombians."

"The Registrar's Office will have the sacred duty to take care of the vote of all Colombians, and we will do so," Vega said.

Elections in Colombia. People call for a change, tired of the political elite. We are on the street following the election. There are nerves, anguish, and a lot of tension about tonight's results.

The Registrar's Office is responsible for issuing official bulletins with the preliminary results of the count, scrutiny, verification, and data consolidation.

According to the capital's mayor, Claudia López, 11,397 members of the Police and 3,400 members of the Army were deployed as part of the security and coexistence device to guarantee peaceful elections. 

Also, 1,450 public servants, firefighters, members of the risk mitigation and prevention entity, coexistence managers and dialogue teams were distributed throughout the capital. 

Colombia's new president will take office on August 7, once the current president, Iván Duque, completes his term in office.