In San José, amid a festive atmosphere, Costa Ricans await the results of this Sunday's elections, in which 3.7 million people were called to choose the country's president and 57 deputies of the Legislative Assembly. With music and dance, hundreds of supporters of political parties are waiting in the streets and at party headquarters for the first results from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), which are expected at 20:45 local time (2:45 GMT). The candidates are also waiting at their campaign headquarters or hotels for the preliminary results to then deliver their respective speeches, while in the streets of the capital, there are numerous convoys of vehicles decorated with party and Costa Rican flags, made even more noticeable by the sound of horns. The ruling Laura Fernández, of the right-wing Sovereign People's Party and the favorite in the polls, has called her supporters to the parking lot of a capital hotel where, from a platform, she will give a speech after the results are known, while Álvaro Ramos, of the social-democratic National Liberation Party, is in another hotel where he also plans to give a speech. Claudia Dobles, of the center-left Citizen Agenda Coalition, will address her supporters at the 'Mercadito La California', a gastronomic center in downtown San José. The remaining 17 candidates registered in the process will carry out activities with their supporters at different headquarters. The polling stations in Costa Rica for the election of the country's president and deputies for the 2026-2030 period closed this Sunday at 18:00 local time (00:00 GMT) after 12 hours of work, and the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) is receiving the results, which it will begin to publish from 20:45 local time (2:45 GMT Monday). To win in the first round, a candidate must obtain at least 40% of the valid votes. If none reaches that percentage, a second round will be necessary on next April 5. In total, 3.7 million Costa Ricans were eligible to vote at the 7,154 polling stations located, for the most part, in public educational centers throughout the country, in addition to voting tables in prisons for 10,730 inmates; in nursing homes and 49 consulates in 42 countries.
