General elections were held in Uruguay on Sunday, 27 October 2019 to elect the President and General Assembly. As no presidential candidate received a majority in the first round of voting, a runoff election took place on 24 November.
In the 2014 elections, the left-wing Broad Front had won a third consecutive election with absolute majorities in both houses of the General Assembly. The Broad Front's term in office еarned support through the creation of a large welfare system, but at the same time was undermined by an increasing budget deficit, along with rising unemployment and a spike in violence. The election campaign focused primarily around the issue of crime, with each party proposing different solutions. A constitutional referendum on amendments proposed by opposition senator Jorge Larrañaga was held alongside the elections. The amendments proposed the introduction of a National Guard and tougher security measures.
As incumbent president Tabaré Vázquez was unable to seek re-election due to constitutional term limits, the Broad Front nominated former Montevideo mayor Daniel Martínez as its presidential candidate. The National Party nominated its 2014 candidate Luis Lacalle Pou, the Colorado Party nominated the economist Ernesto Talvi, and the new Open Cabildo party nominated former commander-in-chief of the Uruguayan Army, Guido Manini Ríos.
Heading into the elections, most opinion polls predicted a run-off between Martínez and Lacalle Pou, along with the loss of the Broad Front's congressional majority and the growth of Open Cabildo. In the first round of voting, the Broad Front saw its worst results since the 1999 elections, but Martínez still received the most votes in the 11-candidate field and qualified for the runoff along with Lacalle Pou, who subsequently received support from most of the eliminated opposition parties. In the runoff, Lacalle Pou defeated Martínez by just over 37,000 votes in a tight race, with the final result only declared after the counting of absentee ballots. Martinez conceded defeat four days after the election, saying that the outstanding absentee ballots would not be enough to overcome Lacalle Pou's lead in preliminary results.
The elections marked the first loss for the Broad Front in a presidential election since 1999, with Lacalle Pou becoming the first National Party president since his father, Luis Alberto Lacalle de Herrera, who held office from 1990 to 1995.
Background The 2014 elections had resulted in a third consecutive victory for the Broad Front. Former president Tabaré Vázquez was returned to office for a second non-consecutive term, having previously served as president from 2004 to 2009. The Broad Front also won an absolute majority in the General Assembly. Vázquez was ineligible to run again due to constitutional term limits. As a result, the governing Broad Front had to nominate a new candidate.
The economy had seen continued growth since 2003, allowing the government to invest heavily in social programs, pensions and health care. However, improved poverty and inequality ratios came at the cost of a budget deficit that reached 4.8 percent of GDP by the end of August 2019. According to political analysts, the Broad Front was predicted to lose its congressional majority, which combined with an increase in the number of parties expected to win seats in Congress, would make coalition negotiations difficult.
Electoral system The elections were held using the double simultaneous vote method, whereby voters cast a single vote for the party of their choice for all three of the Presidency, the Senate and the Chamber of Representatives.
The President of Uruguay was elected using the two-round system, with a run-off held when no candidate received 50% of the vote in the first round. The 30 members of the Senate were elected by proportional representation in a single nationwide constituency. The vice president, elected on the same ballot as the president, becomes president of the Senate, with their vote being the casting one when Senate votes are tied.Electoral system IPU The 99 members of the Chamber of Representatives were elected by closed list proportional representation in 19 multi-member constituencies based on the departments. Seats were allocated using the highest averages method.Electoral system IPU
Presidential candidates Presidential primaries were held on 30 June to select the candidates:Comunicado de prensa de la Corte Electoral - 27 de julio de 2018 Electoral Court PartyCandidateIdeologyPrevious resultVotes (%)SeatsBroad FrontDaniel MartínezSocial democracyDemocratic socialism47.81%National PartyLuis Lacalle PouConservatismChristian democracy30.88%Colorado PartyErnesto TalviLiberalism12.89%Independent PartyPablo MieresChristian humanismChristian democracy3.09%Popular UnityGonzalo AbellaMarxism1.13%Partido Ecologista Radical IntransigenteCésar VegaGreen liberalism0.75%Workers' PartyRafael FernándezTrotskyism0.14%Party of the FolkEdgardo NovickConservative liberalismNeoliberalism Did not contestGreen Animalist PartyGustavo SalleGreen politicsDigital PartyDaniel GoldmanE-democracyOpen CabildoGuido Manini RíosRight-wing populismNational conservatism
Campaign slogans CandidatePartyOriginal sloganEnglish translationRefDaniel MartínezBroad FrontNo perder lo Bueno, hacerlo mejor"Don't lose what is good, improve it"Luis Lacalle PouNational PartyLo que nos une"What unites us"Ernesto TalviColorado PartyUn pequeño país modelo"A small model country"Edgardo NovickParty of the Folk Tolerancia Cero"Zero Tolerance"
Opinion polls
Polling firm Fieldwork date FA PN PC CA PG PI Others Blank/ Undecided Lead Opción Consultores October 2019 33% 25% 10% 12% 1% 8% Radar October 2019 39% 21% 16% 12% 0.8% 1.1% 8% Opción Consultores September 2019 29% 24% 15% 12% 2% 2% 8% Factum August 2019 37% 26% 19% 9% 2% 2% 18% 7% Cifra February 2019 34% 27% 14% 3% 2% - 2% 18% - 7% Factum February 2019 38% 30% 16% 5% 4% 2% 5% 8% Radar January/February 2019 37% 28% 13% 3% 2% 1% 2% 7% 7% 9% Radar December 2018 33% 27% 12% 4% 3% 1% 9% 9% 6% Opción Consultores December 2018 26% 27% 12% 5% 5% 2%. 11% 12% 1% Equipos December 2018 30% 34% 11% 1% 2% 1% 1% 7% 13% 4% Factum November 2018 34% 30% 16% 7% 6% 2% 5% 4% Radar November 2018 32% 26% 13% 4% 3% 2% 10% 10% 6% Cifra October 2018 36% 31% 9% 5% 6% 3% 10% 5% Factum August 2018 34% 30% 12% 7% 6% 2% 9% 4% Radar August 2018 30% 30% 8% 6% 2% 3% 11% 10% Cifra August 2018 27% 26% 4% 3% 4% 1% 35% 1% Opción Consultores July 2018 28% 31% 9% 8% 4% 2% 8% 10% 3% Radar February 2018 33% 28% 7% 2% 2% 3% 11% 13% 5% Factum April 2017 31% 30% 6% 9% 4% 2% 18% 1%
Results On 25 November, preliminary results in the runoff election showed Lacalle Pou narrowly ahead by 28,666 votes over Martínez, which delayed the announcement of a winner as 35,229 absentee vote needed to be counted. However, on 28 November, while these ballots were still being counted, Martínez conceded the race after concluding that they would not reverse Lacalle Pou's preliminary lead. On 30 November, final votes counts confirmed Lacalle Pou as the winner over Martínez.
By department First round & parliamentary election Constituency Broad Front National Party Colorado Party Open Cabildo PERI Party of the FolkIndependent PartyOthersValid votesInvalid votes Votes %D Votes %D Votes %D Votes %D Votes % D Votes % DVotes%DVotes%Votes%Votes% Artigas 15,046 26.61 24,224 42.91 4,813 8.50 10,084 17.80 1850.30 1390.2 01510.303580.655,00097.41,4962.6 Canelones 158,221 42.87 101,417 27.44 35,177 9.52 35,202 9.52 6,4091.70 5,3471.4 03,6011.007,5572.0352,93195.516,6394.5 Cerro Largo 19,895 29.51 26,215 38.91 5,257 7.80 12,232 18.11 3170.50 4010.6 02590.406471.065,22396.72,2273.3Colonia 34,068 34.9132,69133.5115,75016.217,0997.309581.001,1041.108790.901,0981.193,64796.13,8353.9Durazno13,08728.01 16,577 35.515,85212.508,13517.402750.602580.603250.707031.545,21296.91,4603.1Flores5,30825.41 7,357 35.314,05519.402,87413.801340.602041.001160.601870.920,23597.06353.0Florida17,26732.11 18,809 35.017,91914.705,61110.403590.704540.804050.809301.751,75496.32,0123.7Lavalleja11,85624.71 17,608 36.718,19817.107,02414.604911.003250.703770.804781.046,35796.61,6363.4Maldonado37,49629.11 47,339 36.7215,28111.9115,75112.212,7822.201,2291.001,4371.102,6482.1123,96396.24,8633.8Montevideo 438,839 47.419214,67523.2998,55910.6576,4108.3415,9781.7111,7151.3112,4151.3124,7682.7893,35996.532,3423.5Paysandú 32,698 37.8128,97133.5111,37813.116,9198.001,1541.307010.805090.601,3091.583,63996.62,9263.4Rio Negro 14,263 34.0113,54632.316,81616.204,60411.003250.802240.502860.704391.040,50396.61,4463.4Rivera15,27419.2020,41925.71 21,256 26.7118,94823.811810.202310.302610.307170.977,28797.22,2302.8Rocha 18,903 32.8117,31730.115,78810.1010,55318.309191.603480.603100.501,0551.855,19395.82,3954.2Salto 33,720 35.6121,68122.9022,00123.3111,47412.115060.501,0801.105610.607470.891,77097.02,8293.0San Jose 29,257 37.3126,36033.618,14010.408,02210.208971.107921.007481.001,1351.475,35195.93,1874.1Soriano 23,386 34.7120,95131.1110,45415.517,62011.308771.304760.703100.508091.264,88396.42,4503.6Tacuarembó20,23927.71 25,221 34.6110,19814.0012,25216.815160.709691.304870.707721.170,65496.82,3003.2Treinta y Tres10,55326.71 15,074 38.213,2858.307,92220.101980.503160.801430.405131.338,00496.21,4913.8 Total 949,376 39.0142 696,45228.6230300,17712.3413268,73611.041133,4611.38126,3131.08123,5800.97146,8701.932,344,96596.3788,3993.63 Sources: Corte Electoral
Second round Constituency Broad Front National PartyValid votesInvalid votes Votes % Votes %Votes %Votes % Artigas 19,80035.2 34,958 62.254,75897.481,4182.5 Canelones 189,577 51.3 165,35044.7354,92796.0114,7574.0 Cerro Largo 26,46639.4 38,620 57.465,08696.802,1513.2Colonia41,94643.1 52,111 53.594,05796.583,3323.4Durazno17,90538.5 26,948 57.944,85396.361,6963.6Flores6,99033.6 13,102 62.920,09296.497313.5Florida22,41941.7 29,257 54.451,67696.072,1153.9Lavalleja15,93433.3 30,249 63.146,18396.391,7313.6Maldonado48,76837.9 74,193 57.6122,96195.515,7804.5Montevideo 507,346 54.7383,99141.4891,33796.0936,2883.9Paysandú40,11446.3 43,404 50.183,51896.443,0873.6Rio Negro17,48541.8 22,953 54.940,43896.741,3623.3Rivera24,02930.3 52,842 66.776,87197.082,3112.9Rocha24,12941.9 30,736 53.454,86595.352,6764.7Salto43,39846.0 48,240 51.191,63897.102,7392.9San Jose35,17844.9 40,247 51.375,42596.202,9793.8Soriano30,45345.3 34,318 51.064,77196.312,4853.7Tacuarembó26,17936.0 44,092 60.670,27196.642,4403.4Treinta y Tres14,15535.9 23,702 60.237,85796.141,5193.9 Total 1,152,27147.4 1,189,313 48.92,341,58496.2491,6123.77 Source: Corte Electoral
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References
External links
Official results