Overview

• Samuel Doria Medina and Jorge ‘Tuto’ Quiroga are locked in a near tie in early polls, making a runoff on October 19 likely if neither meets victory thresholds tonight
• Annual inflation of about 23–25 percent and acute shortages of fuel and foreign currency have fueled voter anger and demands for change
• Barred ex-president Evo Morales, facing an arrest order on criminal charges, has called on supporters to cast null or spoiled ballots as a protest
• The fractured Movement Toward Socialism risks falling below the 3 percent threshold required to maintain its legal status for the first time since 2005
• Initial vote counts are due after 9 pm local time today, with a candidate needing over 50 percent of the vote or 40 percent with a 10-point lead to avoid a second round